Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Chrysler 300M owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Chrysler 300m. While driving at 15 MPH, the contact stated that the vehicle's battery dropped to the ground. The failure caused a loss of power steering that later caused the vehicle to crash into a sewage area. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
I purchased my 1999 Chrysler 300m in April 2001 it had 24000.00 miles. Within the 6 months I noticed a problem with the rack and pinion steering and took it back to the dealership I purchased it from to get it replaced. About 6 months ago I started having problems with the rack and pinion system again but everytime I took it to be diagnosed they kept telling me to changed the tires or have the tires balanced or I need a wheel alignment. The problem continued until last weekend dec 17, 2005 when the entire wheel broke off from the axle, had it not happened as my wife was about to pull out of our apartment complex it would have happen on the highway which is about a 1000 feet from our apartment which is where she was headed. I've been reading the email boards and I understand a lot of Chrysler 1999 300m are having the similar problems. …
I have a 1999 Chrysler 300m. On July 23, 2005 I was informed by the local Chrysler dealership that the rack & pinion was badly rusted, and that one of the rods was completely broken! This car only had 62,000 at the time and was not used a a commuting car, and was treated very well. Simply put, this should not have happened, given the age of the car and it's use. In addition, the service manager that I dealt with said that they had seen several 300m's come in with the exact same problem. I do not live in a climate where we get snow, thus no salt on the roads, and I am not near the ocean. Based on this, as well as discussions with the dealership, it appears that this is a defect, one that cost me $2300, conveniently 1 month after my warranty expired. Also, according to the dealership, the rusting occurred over a long period of time and would have affected tire ware. …
While attempting to make a right turn into a shopping mall the power steering on my 1999 Chrysler 300m went out.(note: this is the first time this had happened) I had to use most of my strength to complete the turn. I pulled into a nearby parking space with the same difficulty and ran my errand. When I re-entered the car the steering was back to normal until I got to my house about 5 minutes later when the power steering again went out. I left the car parked until the next morning. I drove to a dealership about 20 miles away and then later back home when the dealer could not find any problem. I did not experience any issue with the power steering either on the way to or from the dealership nor has it occurred since then. I am reporting this because of my concern that this May be a precursor to a dangerous situation. …
This a complaint in regard to an article I read about a law suit with the Chrysler company in reguards to steering problems with their lh series cars. I own a 1999 Chrysler 300m and for about the last year there has been rattling noises but just noises then in August of 2002 I started to get excessive play in the steering. I stopped driving the vehicle until I could get it fixed but in feb 2004 I was in an accident in my pick up truck so I had to start using the vehicle to go back and forth to work. I put 200 miles a day on it. I have just bought a used steering rack because I have determined that to be the cause, but after reading about the article I don't think I should use it and as far as I can tell there is really no suitable replacements. What am I supposed to do not drive a car I am still paying on because it is unsafe!!! I feel Chrysler should have to recall these vehicles!!!
It is seemingly impossible to align a 1999 Chrysler 300m, and this has been quite an alarming recent experience for me, having just bought a used one and having changed a lot of front-end suspension parts before aligning and re-aligning. I feel so horrible for the people who bought and continue to buy these 300 cars today. In comparison to my other cars, (a 1993 Pontiac firebird and even an older Chrysler product, a 1986 daytona) which can be easily aligned if all the right parts are in and work well, the 300m simply cannot be aligned it seems, no matter what parts are changed. What a shame for America manufacturing! Shame!
Tl contact owns a 1999 Chrysler 300m. The contact was informed by a repair shop that the suspension needed replacing on her vehicle. She further stated that if she drove over the slightest bump at 50 MPH, the steering would fail. She experienced the same failure in her previous vehicle, a 1996 Chrysler concorde. A mechanic informed her that if she drove around a curb, there would be a good chance that the steering would greatly malfunction. The powertrain was unknown. The current mileage was 140,000 and failure mileage was 138,000.
While driving on suburban streets in light traffic, there was a sudden whirring noise under the hood followed by a loss of power steering. Under higher speeds or more traffic congestion, loss of power steering could easily have caused an accident. Power steering loss was caused by a sudden loss of power steering fluid that was leaking from the steering gear. I have not taken the vehicle in for repair yet. Due to fire hazard from leaking fluid and no power assist in the steering, vehicle will have to be towed.
Steering failure on our 1999 Chrysler 300m. We have owned our car since it was new and never drove car hard. This was is my wife's car. The steering failed at 37000 miles. I asked st. Pete Chrysler if there were problems with steering and they said no. However this was a lie. This repair was around $1000.00 without using mopar parts. After doing some research on this, I found out that their has been thousand of problems with steering.
1. Started with clunks and awkward noises in the front of the car. Steering wheel began to have loose play. Front suspension was checked an never found a problem. 2. One night turned left and car wanted to turn right. While normal driving the car would pull left and right. Countless amount of events were I almost crashed. 3. Rack and pinion was replaced along with tie rods. Old parts are available if requested.
Steering complaints in other 300M years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1999 Chrysler 300M?
NHTSA has 48 complaints about the steering of the 1999 Chrysler 300M, 14% of the model year's 351 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chrysler 300M steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 1999 Chrysler 300M, though it has 3 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 1999 Chrysler 300M steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering 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.