Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Chrysler 200 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that upon placing the gear shifter into reverse, the contact had to depress the accelerator pedal to the floorboard for the vehicle to move. The contact also stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had initially taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where he was informed that there was an internal transmission failure. The mechanic referred him to a dealer for assistance. The dealer was contacted, and he was informed that he would receive a callback. The manufacturer had yet to be notified about the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 76,000.
At first the car started making chirping sound on the right side when ever the car idles. One day I was driving and it shut down while I was driving and the check engine light and electrical light came on, i finance the car and they do the repairs under warranty no electrical repairs. They did repairs to the engine they claim and the problem still persists when the engine shuts off while I'm driving. the brakes lock up and the steering wheel locks up. And you can't change the gears to park the car. I literally drive with my hand on the emergency break out of anxiety, after it shuts off, the odometer and rpm meter both drop at the same time when it occurs, and after waiting for it to come back on the rpm struggles to go over the "1" I have to wait 20mins for the car to start back up every time. I got the car 03/25/2021 @ 130,800 miles. …
It happened to my wife with our three kiddos in the car, she was on the freeway doing speed limit 65 when the car just shut off going around a corner at night all of everything shut off including head lights, power steering, and moter it almost through her and kids off the road in the dark ,the wipers shut off whenever they want and the healights off and on without warning, the horn blows unpredictable like , eceleration from bogging down to super fast causes the car to swerve and jerk around unpredictabley the windows sometimes work and sometimes not, once in a while car wont start and or stalls while driving. I'm really worried and scared my wife and kids are going to get hurt or killed or hurt someone else because of these electrical issues. …
The first time this incident occured I was driving in a residential neighborhood and my horn started randomly honking. Over the past few months the horn will randomly start honking and will continously honk for long periods of time. The horn will blast for miles and there is nothing that I can do to make it stop. I have been pulled over because of this and it's terrible driving at night with the horn blaring. The horn does not work regularly anymore. Then my car started shutting off while driving with no warning lights and total loss of anything that is powered (steering, brakes, etc). I have had to pull over on the freeway in unsafe areas, stuck in the middle of intersections with kids in the car also. After shutting off sometimes I am able to start it right away and it will be fine and other times it wont start and after some period of time it will finally start. …
I own a 2012 Chrysler 200, the engine stops/fails about every two months while braking or while stopped. This is dangerous as it can stop anywhere and they might rear end the car or something. I have taken my car to the Chrysler dealership 4 different times with the same issue, the first time they changed the PCM. After about 2 months the car's engine stopped while braking or while at a stoplight. The 2nd and 3rd time I took the car they did not find anything wrong with the car and gave it to me after a couple of days. The 4th time when I took the car they said that it was the battery and they put in a new battery. Well about 2 days ago the car stopped again while at a stoplight. I have not taken the car to the dealership as they never find anything wrong with the vehicle. I am tired of them not finding what is wrong with the car. …
I bought my 2012 Chrysler 200 in 2013. I 've had a recurring problem with the engine running hot because some malfunction prevents the coolant from circulating through the engine. I have spent over $2000.00 trying to fix this problem and now my mechanic tells me the engine is no good and I'll need a new one. This happens when I'm driving. The car would run hot, I'd tow it in and my mechanic would fix it. And within a month or two, the problem would occur again. My mechanic ran diagnostics, he rebooted the computer systems and he gets the coolant flowing again but within weeks or a month the same problem reoccurs. I don't drive far to work approx. 10 miles daily commute. I May take a road trip on occasion but there is no unusual wear or tear on the vehicle. Im reporting this problem aug 2016 but this has been a recurring issue over the years and the car is just for years old. …
Vehicle stalled and would not start while driving (2 times )towed to dealer as (both times) tow driver could not restart. Dealer reported no computer codes and car started after car started on problem. There appears to be common safety hazard that has been experienced by many owners, that reportly Chrysler and NHTSA agreed upon a resolution to avoid a recall by Chrysler of this safety hazard in sept 2012. Chrysler doesn't acknowledge and not sharing this information with dealers so they can take corrective action. Various attempts tried to resolve this hazardous condition have included replacing the powertrain module, camscope replacement, monitoring the on board with a copilot computer-which also showed no codes. …
My transmission is slipping and not performing the way it should. Sometimes my car shifts hard and sometimes it won't shift out until it reaches 5 or 6000 rpms which is almost in the red zone. When going up a hill or incline it hesitates and jerks. I called several dealerships only to be told that there were multiple cars ahead of mine that were just sitting there with the same problem. I was told that they were waiting on a call from corporate to fix the problem. To this day it has not happened. Also, my airbag light has been on for almost four months now. They said they did not have a fix for it yet. Just recently there is a knocking noise coming from the passenger side dashboard. An ongoing problem has been the noise from the front brakes when I am backing up. I was told there was no fix yet for that problem. As of this day, there still is no fix for it. …
Car was in motion leaving a shopping area, turning right and accelerating onto a 4 lane highway. As 45 MPH was achieved, the car decelerated and stalled. The check engine light and the electronic throttle control light came on. I looked up the etc information and read I May be able to try again to drive the car. I did try and rolled on the shoulder for about 1/4 mile before having to accelerate though an intersection. At that point, car repeated the above failure and stalled. I was able to make a right turn and coast into a parking lot. The car was towed. While waiting on the tow, I read several reports of the same issue occurring in this model vehicle, often while driving on the interstate or in other dangerous locations like an intersection. This failure happened with no warning - no sputtering, hesitation or warning lights until the failure occurred. …
A few weeks ago, the transmission failed while I was driving on the highway, left me stranded, and without a car for ten days. It seems that Chrysler is aware of a drum issue within the transmission in this make and model vehicle and in fact has manufactured a specific 'repair kit' for just this scenario. This repair cost me over $2,600, including a three day car rental for a period where I could no long beg rides to work and had to rent a car at my own expense. Attached are the repair and rental car bills. In my 40 years of car ownership, including several new cars, I have never heard of such significant issue being experience in a vehicle with such low mileage, 61,800, on a well and regularly maintained vehicle. …
Transmission complaints in other 200 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2012 Chrysler 200?
NHTSA has 54 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2012 Chrysler 200, 8% of the model year's 638 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Chrysler 200 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2012 Chrysler 200, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Chrysler 200 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.