Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Bought a used car.engine would not start next day. 8 days laterengine blew. Bought car as is, but financed car threw dealer.dealer sapose to have put used egine in car. Charged me 1722.33. Car still over heated, same problem. Couldnot register car with dmv becouse it was a recall and had to be taken care of. Manufactor claimed car was unsafe,2 hollowed out catalyst converters, fuel EVAP sys disconected, swaybar links disconected mushroomed from banging on axle. Dealer did charge me for smog. On 1-10-2011 car stalls on freeway ,towed car to lot,dealer said now this engine is blown. Car sits on dealers lot for nine weeks dealer will not answer my calls .I am still makeing payments. Dealer loans me a 1994 Ford truck I work and have children to get to school. …
While accelerating onto the freeway, at approx. 55mph, in very heavy traffic with many big-rigs in the mix, the "check engine" light came on and the car suddenly lost power and began to shudder/miss out when accelerating. I had to quickly navigate over 3 lanes of fast moving traffic to avoid being rear-ended. I was able to drive slowly to a repair shop, but the engine would not rev above 2200 RPM. The service shop has tried 4 times to repair the car, each time replacing various sensors that were indicated by the engine computer. After each repair, the car would run fine for 2-3 days before having the same failure. It is still not repaired. I feel this is a serious safety problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chrysler 300m. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle started to decelerate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,600.
Purchased 2003 Chrysler 300m in aug 05, with 9,500 miles. From the beginning engine light came on, was reset; in addition, gas gauge and light flicker. In aug 2006, on a trip to ca light came on and at one point car would not start immediately. Stopped at paso robles dealer who reset code. On I!0, outside san bernadino, in the third lane of heavy traffic, the car died with on warning other than the check engine light. Due to the alertness of the tractor trailer truck driver on my right, I was able to glide off the highway without causing a massive pileup. Once home I had the original dealer replace the sensor. Contacted Chrysler, received a phone call from a haughty young man - Chrysler will not pay. Since then I have had to replace one o2 sensor and now the catalytic converter is gone. Chrysler refuses to cover these under the extended warranty. …
On my way to work on May 8th 2014, my battery light came on. In a split second decision I decided to go to work instead of coffee first to call a mechanic and within 2 minutes my car had died. Smoke was coming in through my vents and I had witnesses yelling at me to get away from my car it was on fire. In the 5 minutes it took the fire department to get there, the front of my car was gone. I had little to no warning of this and have since found that Chrysler was aware of this problem with no recall of the vehicle. I am very thankful that my children were not with me that day and thankful that the only injury to me was smoke/fume inhalation.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chrysler 300m. While driving 5 MPH, the engine shut off and restarted after a couple of minutes. The engine shut off without warning. The contact placed the gear into neutral and coasted the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted and taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose the failure. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure and was informed to take the vehicle to a local dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 75,000. Ma 10/25/15
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Chrysler 300m. During inclement weather, the vehicle stalled. The contact had to shift the vehicle into neutral while depressing the accelerator pedal and turn the engine off in order to restart the vehicle. The contact also stated that the air conditioner and heating failed to fully function and the interior lighting would randomly remain illuminated when the vehicle was off and the key was removed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to provide a specific diagnosis, but indicated that the failure May be electrical. The vehicle was not repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The VIN was not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.
2001 Chrysler 300m 3.5l ho engine failure at 68,000 miles. Car was maintained with oil changes every 6000 (manual schedule a says every 7500) and engine has failed with major damage and estmiated parts bill of over $5000. I have contatced Chrysler customer service and taken tyhe car to dealer and the service manager has spoken with chryskler district manager and neither resource cares about my problem. Detroit says it is out of warranty period. The district manager says that since there was never any other complaint by me regarding the engine problem, which was unknown to me, they can't justify helping me. They do not care that engine was maintained within their standards. I am willing to do whatveer I have to at this point to solve the problem. I can't afford to have the car fixed for that much money and still have one year left on the lease. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Chrysler 300M years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (39), 2004 (18), 2002 (13), 2003 (11) and 2000 (10) model years. Engine complaints make up 11% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Chrysler 300M engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Chrysler 300M model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chrysler 300M engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles; 32% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (29 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (9).
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.