Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Chrysler 300 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
i've been reading about the issues regarding the lights exterior/interior-so many customer complaints about how over the past few decades problems with the interior (dash) and exterior lights blinking, dimming & " completely going out" while of course driving-how hasn't this major issue been addressed & recalled, this is a VERY DANGEROUS & SERIOUS PROBLEM, I am currently experiencing this while on the road at night-what can be done? Our safety is at risk!!
My vehicle has experienced ecm/ throttle body issues, lights flickering hard to drive vehicle at night because the lights aren't working properly. Transmission and motor problems. Why isn't the electrical issues on recall? I've been on several forums with hundreds of electrical issue complaints. This is not fair
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 Chrysler 300. While the vehicle was stationary, it caught on fire while the contact was asleep. The contact woke up and smelled burnt rubber and a chemical/electrical odor outside the trailer home. The contact stated that the fire melted the coating off of the trailer home. The fire department extinguished the fire prior to the contact waking up. A fire report was filed and the cause of the fire was undetermined. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was destroyed. A dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 188,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 Chrysler 300. While driving approximately 30 MPH and smoking a cigar, the contact perceived an odor of burning plastic. The contact pulled out the ashtray and saw flames. The contact immediately pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. The vehicle became engulfed in flames in less than five minutes. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was totaled and was towed to a tow yard. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 Chrysler 300. After driving the vehicle approximately 20 miles and parking it in the driveway, there was a burning odor inside the vehicle. Approximately 15 minutes later, a pedestrian alerted the contact that there was smoke underneath the hood of the vehicle. Soon after, the front of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. The vehicle was not towed to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000.
I went to the gas station, 2-ish mile drive and came back home. About 20 minutes later we decided to go see my mother in law, 34 highway miles away. Cool, so we go, everything is fine, beastie (that's the name of my 2006 Chrysler 300), is running good, my husband and 3yr old are jammin out to metallica, and we get to my mother in laws house.. Stay a couple hours and decided to head home.. So we say bye ect ect.. We get about 9.5 miles down our 34 mile ride home... Aww crap, there is a tractor on the road, so we go to pass him... Or so we thought... Make sure coast is clear, turn on blinker and step on the gas petal more firmly.. OK in the other lane.. And bam!! Car dies in motion at 60 MPH!! My husband just casually says "hey babe, I think the car just died" and I look like "haha whatever" and I couldn't believe it.. So we pull over and try to get it started, had my MIL come jump us.. …
Dt*: the contact stated after shifting the transmission from park to reverse, the brake pedal was released and the vehicle accelerated on its own. The brake pedal was depressed again, but the vehicle did not respond. The vehicle stopped after hitting a ditch. There was minor damage to the vehicle and no injuries. The vehicle was towed the dealership, the computer stored no codes and the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem. Updated 8/1/2006 - the consumer's vehicle started electrical problems a week after it was purchased. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer several times for repairs. The radio went out then came back on. The all the panel light went out. The dealer replaced the cluster. The ESP bas light illuminated on the dash. The dealer replaced the parking brake switch. The driver's side window auto up function failed. The dealer calibrated the auto up function. …
My car shuts off while driving. I wait for a minute or so and it turns back on after restart it.. Initially it was only doing this as I was coming off the freeway. Then again a few minutes later at the stop light. It progressed to turning off as I was driving at 65 miles on the freeway. This almost caused an accident. Luckily I was on the right lane and there were no cars directly behind me. Otherwise I would have been rear ended at the least. This is very dangerous and could have resulted in an accident. It also happened on the street while driving 30 MPH. The steering wheel locks up and the car turns off. In a stretch of five miles, it happened about 10 times. I took the car to the dealer and they cannot figure out what is wrong with it. It has been there since April 3 and the dealer still cannot figure out what is wrong with it. They thought it was the battery, then the spark plugs. …
Vehicle was parked in garage. Had been driven home at 11:30p.m. And woke up to fire in the garage at 1a.m. Entire home and contents were lost. We had to jump from 2nd story windows to escape our home. Fire department and fire marshals felt that fire began in the garage and found it undetermined, but told us that they felt strongly that it was the vehicle. We contacted our insurance company with info we found online that stated the braking problem was being recalled. They stated that they had no information to pursue. Car was also a total loss. Is there anything more we can do to find out why this recall #06V149000 was never sent to us? Had we known we would have parked the vehicle away from our home!!!! And would have gladly taken it in for repair that was needed. [redacted]
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chrysler 300. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to coast to the side of the road and the contact powered off the engine. The vehicle was able to restart after numerous attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch and key needed to be replaced. The vehicle was later taken to perry Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (2340 national city, ca 91950, [phone]), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The manufacturer referred the contact to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 212,885. Consumer stated ignition switch failed many times to start the engine, and also happened once while drivving. Updated 8/30/18
Electrical complaints in other 300 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Chrysler 300?
NHTSA has 103 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Chrysler 300, 10% of the model year's 1,051 complaints. The component named most often is horn (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Chrysler 300 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2006 Chrysler 300, 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 2006 Chrysler 300 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 87,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 10 fires and 4 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.