Most common 2001 Chrysler 300M problems
Share of the 91 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chrysler 300M complaints by model year
Best 300M years: 2003, 2004, 2002. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000. Compare all years →
2001 Chrysler 300M recalls (3)
Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
On certain passenger vehicles, seat back recliner bolt breakage can occur resulting in the seat back reclining unexpectedly.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the recliner bolts. Owner notification began on April 23, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Structure › Frame and members
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles (non-sunroof only) fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact."
Remedy: Owners will be sent a storage bin accessory unit that can be attached to the b-pillar along with installation instructions. However, if an owner wishes, the dealer can perform the installation.
Child seat
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." some of the owner's manuals for these vehicles are missing instructions that provide a step-by-step procedure, including diagrams, for properly…
Remedy: Owners will be provided with an addendum to the owner's manuals.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2001 Chrysler 300M:
Throttle control failure
Based on the low failure rate, the absence of failures over the past year, the absence of injuries, and odi's field investigation of incident vehicles, a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.the agency will take further action if warranted…
What 2001 Chrysler 300M owners say
Steering all 29 →
December 20th 2008 accident occurred. Vehicle started on fire and was totaled on the right passenger side. Inner tie rods and bushings were replaced not even two weeks before along with two tires and brakes. Vehicle pulled to the left while in an intersection. A truck coming from the opposite direction hit the vehicle on the front left passenger side and the hood. Vehicle was in a 180 degree position with little damage to the left side.
I was stopped at a city intersection waiting to make a left turn. When traffic cleared, I attempted to make the left turn. I heard a 'clunk' and the wheels did not turn. The steering wheel turned, but the tire wheels did not! I had no function except forward or reverse, so I was forced to drive into the curb in an attempt to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. I was not able to get safely off the roadway and my car blocked an entire lane of rush hour traffic which put me in a very dangerous situation. The police were called and a tow truck had to lift the car to move it out of the roadway. I was petrified. The car was towed as instructed by the police officer and is currently with the repair shop pending availability of a steering rack kit. The bolt to the rack was severed! There was no warning prior to this incident. …
Transmission & drivetrain
Check engine light came on after turned right out of parking garage. Pulled on I-71 s and tried to accelerate to merge. Transmission locked in low gear and could not accelerate past 50 MPH (current speed limit was 65). Rpms were past 4000 and other car horns were blaring because car would not shift and was going incredibly slow. Tried to go to the manual shifter and still would not shift. Pulled over, turned off car. Turned car back on and car was fine. Car did it three times on the way home. Had previously taken to the dealership and spent $600 replacing transmission module. After researching the internet, there have been many people experiencing this problem in this car. Dealership appears to refuse to fix the problem. Extremely frustrated and unhappy.
Check engine warning light cam on. Transmission lock in a low gear. Took to five star dealership wullenweber for service. Replaced a transmission module for $600. Two weeks later the transmission again lock in a lower gear while on i75. Had car towed back to dealership wullenweber were it was two weeks earlier. Told me that the transmission module was good but the engine bearing was blown and the a remanufactured engine would cost between $4,000 and $6,000 . This is a 2001 300m with only 51,000 miles. What can you do to help as the dealership is completely refusing to accept any responsibility for the failure of the transmission and the resulting sever damage to the engine.
Air bags
My son was driving to college on the interstate and both the driver and passenger front air bags deployed. He did not have an accident, hit an animal or hit a pothole. There was no damage to the vehicle other than the airbags deploying. My son was not injured, he was still able to see the road and pulled over to the shoulder and called me to inform me what happened and ask what to do. As he was close to his college I told him to be careful but continue on to school, I would call his uncle who is a mechanic and then let him know what to do after his class was over. I called the insurance company and my brother. My brother said to have him drive it to his shop so he could look at it. The insurance company started a claim. …
I have been trying to get the air bag recall resolved on my car. I checked in September and again October 16 and told that they do not have replacement parts. When I go on the Chrysler web site for recall information, it says that parts are available. I feel that Chrysler, or the dealer, are not giving me top priority. In the mean time, I am at risk. I checked this out again today with the same result.
2001 Chrysler 300M engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Chrysler 300M a good car?
Based on 91 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 300M rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the 300M at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Chrysler 300M?
The steering — 29 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rack and pinion. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (11) and air bags (10).
How many recalls does the 2001 Chrysler 300M have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2001 Chrysler 300M, the most recent from February 5, 2003 (recliner). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chrysler 300M?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 2004 and 2002. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999 and 2000. See the full Chrysler 300M years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Chrysler 300M problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 68,000 miles; 27% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.