We’ve written numerous times about the Chrysler 300. Today, we’re going to take a deeper dive into the problems and the recalls this car has had over the past years. Furthermore, we’ll make sure you have all information to make an informed decision before buying one. Let’s start with a quick answer:
Most commonly, the Chrysler 300 has problems with the functionality of the Uconnect infotainment system. Furthermore, the active headrests have been known to deploy randomly, and the door panels warp when exposed to the heat of sunlight. Finally, faulty electronic power modules activate and disengage features of the car without warning, and the e-Shift design increases the risk of rollaway.
However, this certainly covers the Chrysler 300 fully. Below, we’ll elaborate on each problem. We’ll see what causes it, what symptoms you should look out for, and how much this costs to fix. Furthermore, we’ll also discuss all the major recalls the car has had over the years to give you an understanding of the built quality of this car overall. Read on!
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1. Infotainment System Freezes
One of the main culprits of modern-day Chrysler 300 is the fact that the infotainment system has proven to be unreliable and dysfunctional. This problem mainly affects 300 made after 2014. The main problems with the system are:
- Sudden freezing of the screen and becoming unresponsive to touch
- Screen going blank
- Not recognzing USB-input that worked previously
- Loss of radio reception
- Sudden jumps between programs
Besides being annoying, this infotainment system is also responsible for navigation, climate control, heated seats, and the backup camera. Furthermore, it’s a distraction while driving.
Chrysler has issued more than 45 technical service bulletins to authorized dealers. Furthermore, they have sent out multiple over-the-air updates. Some of them worsened the problems and resulted in the system rebooting every 45 seconds. Replacement of the Uconnect system did also not fix the problem.
To this day, Chrysler has yet to fix the problems and continues to use the faulty Uconnect system in their vehicles.
2. Active Headrests Deploy
The deployment of the active headrests is a function that is installed to prevent whiplash and neck injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. However, 2011 – 2018 Chrysler 300’s have faulty headrests made by Grammar AG. The plastic pins that are supposed to keep the internal slide system within the headrest in place tend to break under the normal day-to-day pressure of 75 pounds.
The breakage results in the slide-system activating, hitting the striker pins, and deploying the safety function. Besides potential injuries, deployment of the headrests is also a financial problem. It costs $800 to replace a headrest that has been deployed. Because of this, multiple lawsuits have been filed.
3. Warped Door Panels
Chrysler 300’s made between 2014 – 2020 have the problem of warped door panels that bend when heated by the sun. This problem is prevalent at the place where the doors meet the windows on the drivers’ side door. This malfunctioning of the door panels results in cars losing their resale value and the side airbags not working correctly in the event of a crash.
The problem is so common that there’s a nationwide backlog of door panel orders for this generation of the Chrysler 300. Furthermore, Stellantis (the company that owns Chrysler) has been slow to respond to the problem. Replacement often takes months when waiting for Stellantis. Therefore, many people seek third-party solutions that cost $250 – $400 just for the parts alone.
4. Recalled Airbags
Like many other vehicles made after 2005 and before or during 2013, the Chrysler 300 was also recalled for its Takata airbags. Takata has had to recall more than 100 million vehicles over the past year. This is because the inflators in their airbags tended to become unstable over time, resulting in unwanted airbag deployment and metal elements shooting through the cabin.
5. e-Shift Transmission Is Dangerous
The e-Shift transmission introduced in the 2012 – 2014 Chrysler 300 was poorly designed. Since Chrysler moved to an electronic system, this meant that the gear system didn’t have to have a traditional design. However, Chrysler decided to design a system that was very unintuitive instead of using the PRNDL system that many people have gotten used to over the years.
Furthermore, it was tough to determine whether or not the car was in gear or neutral when using this system. Combined with a lack of safety features, this meant that there were cases of the car rolling away on a parking lot or hill when owners thought they had put the car in Park when, in fact, it was in Neutral. In the Town and Country, the transmission had problems shifting.
Chrysler issued a recall for this, and they added more safety features. Furthermore, they changed the design of the e-Shift transmission in the 2016 model years and onwards to make sure these problems didn’t occur anymore. Also, safety features were added that made sure the car was automatically put in Park at speeds of less than 1.2 mph and when the on/off button is pressed.
6. Faulty Electronic Module
The TIPM is the Totally Integrated Power Module of a Chrysler 300. It’s responsible for many critical electronic tasks. However, the TIPM in the 2007 – 2014 model years has enormous issues. Symptoms include:
- The fuel pump failing to send fuel to the engine
- The airbags randomly deploying
- The horn going off without warning
- Unlocking/locking of the door without driver input
- Dysfunctional power windows
- Starter motor not working
This problem has mainly been registered with models that had driven less than 40,000 miles. However, Chrysler hasn’t ever properly fixed these problems. Therefore, many people have resorted to fixing them themselves with third-party solutions. A new TIPM will quickly cost around $1,100 – $1,500. Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durango’s made between 2011 – 2013 had the same problem and received some form of compensation from Chrysler, but the 300 never did.
7. Numerous Recalls
The Chrysler 300 has had numerous recalls throughout its years. Below we’ve written down the recalls per part of a specific generation. Please note that there were numerous recalls for the airbags, as mentioned earlier, but we’ve decided not to include those here. If you have problems with a light knocking noise after refilling your Chrysler, this is not to worry about as written in the user manual.
2019 – 2022
- 2020 – 2021: windshield hadn’t adequately bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in the event of a crash (21V516000).
- 2019: failing instrument cluster that didn’t allow proper illumination of driver warnings on the dashboard (19V203000).
2014 – 2018
- 2018: failing Powertrain Control Module because of a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board. This chip would cause a short-circuit which wouldn’t allow the car to restart (18V524000). The same model year had a recall for an dysfunctional park lock rod which prevented the car from going into park (18V280000).
- 2015: recall for software vulnerabilities that allowed hackers to acces network vehicle control systems (15V461000).
- 2014 – 2018: failing of the PCM (Powertrain Controle Module) that would prevent the cruise control from disengaging potentially causing crashes (18E053000), combined with a recall for faulty wiring (18V332000) that caused the same problem. Furthermore, 2014 – 2017 model years were recalled for detachment of the front driveshaft bolts. This was a problem in the AWD 300’s because they allowd the front driveshaft to detach and increase the risk of a crash (17V097000).
2011 – 2014
- 2013: recall for teh 8HP45 transmission which may facture during use (13V610000).
- 2011 – 2014: recalls for failing alternators which caused the battery to die prematurely (14V634000 / 17V435000)
- 2012 – 2014: earlier mentioned problem of the rollaway situations with the e-Sift design (16V240000).
- 2011 – 2012: failure of the ABS/ESC system because of an overheating power distribution center (12V197000).
- 2012: tire pressure monitoring system did not give a warning when the tire pressure dropped below recommended safety regulations (12V004000).
- 2011: Structural problems with the steering column which compromised the frontal impact safety sytem, increasing the risk of injury during a crash (11V315000).
2005 – 2010
- 2010: Leaks in the power steering hose that allowed power steering fluid to leak to the transmission and cause fire (10V475000). Another recall because the key was able to fall out of the solenoid latch during driving or parking because of a faulty wireless ignition node module (10V200000).
- 2008: Disengagament of the half shaft from the wheel hub due to loosening of the rear axle hub nuts (08V295000). Furthermore, the ignition key not returning to the “ON” position after being rotated to the “START” position (14V567000).
Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.
I’m an active writer on this blog myself, as well as a novice car mechanic. For the really technical stuff, I find writers with experience as a mechanic or who have studied mechanical engineering.
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