Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 1900101 | 03/23/2001 | 1900300 | 619127 | Some owners may experience loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side. *tt | 05/15/2001 |
| 1900300B | 10/06/2000 | 190300A | 618868 | Some vehicles may experience loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side. *tt | 05/03/2001 |
| 0042 | 09/13/2000 | 615695 | Advance service information for loose steering. *tt | 01/28/2001 | |
| 190300A | 09/08/2000 | 190300 | 6092235 | Experiencing loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side. *tt | 11/29/2000 |
| 190300 | 06/02/2000 | 614153 | A condition may exist where a loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side. *tt | 09/29/2000 | |
| 190899 | 12/31/1999 | 610017 | Information when servicing the inner tie rod end to steering gear attachments. *tt | 04/14/2000 | |
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||||
| 190798 | 10/02/1998 | 602894 | Information on steering gear mounting bushing service. *ak | 11/16/1999 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||||
| 190698 | 10/02/1998 | 602893 | A new power steering fluid. *yc | 01/20/1999 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| 190398 | 06/11/1998 | 600899 | Power steering system noise following cold engine starts in low ambient temperatures. *yc | 06/11/1998 | |
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||||
| 220499 | 10/29/1999 | 612159 | Subject concerning the steering wheel vibration. *mjs | 06/06/2000 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 12/16/2011 | |||
| Alignment has been off for about 2 years. took to my mechanic friend and he said that all the bolts associated with my rack and pinion had become loose. he tightened the bolts up, and the very next day they worked loose again. he did research on my vehicle and found that there are several complains about the rack and pinion and is shocked that chrysler has not made a recall yet. i have not had any major accidents or problems, but as i read on the internet someone has died from the rack and pinion problems, and there has been several problems due to the rack and pinion not functioning properly. my mechanic friend is going to try to tighten the bolts again using lock tight(?) on the bolts and hopefully this will help the problem. my fear is that there are others who have the same problem, as listed on www.arfc.org/complaints/2000/chrysler/300m/steering/problem.aspx and cannot get the help that they need and their only help lies within a recall by chrysler especially due to the difficult economy. not everyone is lucky to have a mechanic that is a friend. | |||
| 03/19/2009 | 108000 | 1 | |
| 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. i have read about the many steering related problems with my type of vehicle and felt it was important for the safety of others to pass this information on. *tr | |||
| 05/15/2008 | 110751 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 11/03/2007 | 138000 | 100 | 11/03/2007 |
| Tl*the 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. | |||
| 05/19/2006 | 104000 | 4 | 11/10/2005 |
| 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!*jb | |||
| 04/25/2006 | 5 | 12/22/2000 | |
| 1999 300m chrysler steering wheel problems. we purchased the vehicle in 2000 at a used dealership with 30,000 miles, ever since we have been experiencing the same problem over and over again and cost us a lot of money. on one occasion where we were driving on the freeway all of sudden the steering wheel locked itself and luckily it was not busy on the road and safely pulled on the side. i took it to the chrysler dealer and pay $1400 to replace the whole steering wheel. as of today, again, the steering wheel looses its steering and it just keep rolling and it so loose. i contacted and did not want to assist in any way or even offer me a discount to fix it. they said warranty was up. i cannot believe the lack of attention from chrysler to my problem and i think its a safety issue here. *nm | |||
| 08/01/1999 | 6 | ||
| Streering in the chrysler 300m has been a problem from day one. it has 56,000 miles and the steering has 3 to 4 inches of play in it. i've had this in the dealer to fix the steering problem at least 6 times. it now seems that to fix the problem it will cost $1,500. this problem is serious and affects the operation of the vehicle. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| The consumer experienced total steering failure on 1999 chrysler 300m.*mr the failure occurred when the driver was backing out of a parking space. *nm | |||
| 07/23/2004 | 105000 | 1 | 04/29/1999 |
| In backing out of parking space, turned wheel, heard faint pop and then noticed that i had no steering at all. car was towed to dealer that did regular service. i was informed that power steering rack had failed. this part had previously been replaced by same dealer in feb 2003 when i reported whineing noise from steering to them.*ak | |||
| 06/05/2003 | 37000 | 12/21/1999 | |
| 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. *la | |||
| 36000 | 3 | 12/01/1998 | |
| Warped rotors, two transmission sensor related failures and heavy pulsation in the steering wheel when braking. *mr ph | |||
| 10/01/2000 | 2 | 11/01/1999 | |
| The steering was very loose and dealer fixed tie rods as possible cause, but the problem continued and rack and pinion steering was replaced twice. *yh | |||
| 11/01/1998 | 07/01/1998 | ||
| Shakes & shimmies; wobbles & bobbles. steering somewhat unpredictable. goodyear tires rebalanced 5 times, and 2 front end alignments by dealer. replaced all 4 tires at 12k. still shimmies/bumps/vibrates. installed third set of tires (michelin) at 25k. at 26k after 2 front end alignments, 6 tire rebalances, and 3rd set of tires, vehicle continues to shake and wobble and steering seems a little bit dangerous. | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 09/14/2005 | 65400 | 1 | 05/15/1999 |
| Dt: the caller stated that the steering locked on vehicle while driving 55 mph and when turning slightly to the left and then trying to turn back to the right. the caller said he forced it and it turned, but now it has too much play in it. he filed a complaint with the manufacturer, and he could not reach the manager at the dealership. the person talked to could not help him for free. *ak | |||
| 06/22/2003 | 30 | ||
| Intermittently when turning steering wheel locks up. when this occurs the vehicle sways. consumer has to play with the steering wheel until it unlocks. dealership will be contacted.*ak | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 07/13/2001 | 1 | 07/14/1999 | |
| Steering gear is cracked and is leaking in bushings. when turning steering wheel sometimes under correct and sometimes overcorrected due to crack in steering gear. dealer stated had 10 to 12 day waitting period. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 09/02/2002 | |||
| Steering locked up while consumer was driving and making a left hand turn. contacted dealer,and dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 02/01/1999 | |||
| Binding/groaning sound from front of vehicle as steering wheel is moved. dealer / manufacturer can not locate or repair after 5 attempts. binding sound could potentially be a safety problem should a front steering component fail. | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - KNUCKLE - SPINDLE - ARM | |||
| 12/17/2005 | 108000 | 2 | 04/14/2001 |
| 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 started noticing it when my car was traveling about 65 to 70 mph and the wheels would vibrate, and when going over bumps there would be a clumping nose coming from the front wheels. also when making turns it seems the wheel would loose traction when it's wet. *jb | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 12/17/2005 | 108000 | 2 | 04/14/2001 |
| 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 started noticing it when my car was traveling about 65 to 70 mph and the wheels would vibrate, and when going over bumps there would be a clumping nose coming from the front wheels. also when making turns it seems the wheel would loose traction when it's wet. *jb | |||
| 10/23/2004 | 40000 | 2 | 10/01/2000 |
| Inner tie rod bolt kept coming off. consumer took the vehicle to an after market repair shop because the warranty on this vehicle was no longer in effect, and the chrysler manufacturer refused to do anything to assist the consumer. *ak *sc | |||
| On 9/16/2002 tie rods had to be replaced. also, rack and pinion had to be replaced.vehicle is currently at dealership. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 08/11/2007 | 134222 | 1 | 08/20/2002 |
| Rack and pinion broke after i noticed a loss of control in steering my car. fortunately, i was not driving when the device snapped. *jb | |||
| 09/04/2006 | 74382 | 1 | 08/17/1998 |
| 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. *jb | |||
| 12/17/2005 | 108000 | 2 | 04/14/2001 |
| 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 started noticing it when my car was traveling about 65 to 70 mph and the wheels would vibrate, and when going over bumps there would be a clumping nose coming from the front wheels. also when making turns it seems the wheel would loose traction when it's wet. *jb | |||
| 05/13/2002 | 43268 | 1 | 03/26/1999 |
| 1. normal everyday driving 2. rack and pinion steering unit failed--lots of play in steering and loud clunking noise when driving. 3. replaced rack and pinion unit--out of warranty--$1195.72 to repair!*jb | |||
| 07/23/2005 | 62000 | 1 | 04/18/1999 |
| 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. this explains why i went through 4 tires in the past year. luckily, this problem didn't cause me to get into an accident, but this potentially could end up being life threatening for someone else! | |||
| 01/28/1999 | |||
| I have approximately 69000 miles on my 1999 chrysler 300m. as a retiree i was looking forward to owning it for at least 10 years before considering purchase of a new car. my problems with the 300 started in jan of '99 inoperable window motors a ) 1/28/99 957 miles drivers side b) 3/30/99 3792 miles right rear c) 6/7/99 6301miles right front d) 8/01/01 27364 miles left rear indow also crack in dash all of the above were under warranty. the following were not under warranty 1) 7/25/02 40046 miles transmission sensors (wouldn't shift properly) 2) 2/14/03 about 46000 miles drivers side window again. i replaced the motor 3) about 4/03 47000 miles, right rear window motor caput. still caput. 4) about 50000 miles, 2 of 6 radio speakers do not work 5) 6/03/04 58528 miles significant shimmy after new tires and alignment and balance. still shimmies. 6) 6/19/04 58561 air coditioner compressor fails my problem is i guess i don't complain enough. i was prompted to do so this time after surfing the net and found i was not alone in this regard. perhaps some good will come of my plight, if not for me, someone else. this was the 1st and last chrysler daimler product i will own. | |||
| 08/07/2004 | 86584 | 1 | 11/01/1999 |
| 1999 chrysler 300m with approximately 86,000 miles on it requires replacement of entire rack and pinion steering system and inner tie rods. i note on other internet sites that this might be a design defect for this car platform.*ak | |||
| 07/06/2004 | 2 | ||
| While driving at any speed steering wheel felt loose, and made a loud noise. vehicle was taken to the dealership, mechanic determined replaced the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. consumer indicated that warranty expired, and the problem recurred. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2002 | 75000 | 1 | 03/01/2000 |
| 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!!!*ak | |||
| 09/03/2003 | 1 | 10/19/2000 | |
| Failure of power steering rackand pinion. *ak | |||
| 06/25/2003 | 70000 | 1 | 08/22/1998 |
| Power steering rack falure at only 70,000 miles. i feel that this is way to premature for this falure. my cost, almost $1,400. chrysler did not offer to help at all. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer noticed loose play in steering wheel. vehicle was serviced, rack and pinion steering wore out. *ak | |||
| On 9/16/2002 tie rods had to be replaced. also, rack and pinion had to be replaced.vehicle is currently at dealership. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2098 | |
| My rack and pinion failed. the replacement out of warranty was preceeded by very sloppy steering and knocking in the suspension. this is a major problem for chrylser lh cars but is not being addressed by chrysler outside of warranty. there are numerous complaints on 300m internet forum sites about this issue. this problem manifest itself in wandering steering and ultimately complete steering failures. surely this is a safety issue that chrysler should be made responsible for especially for those that do not want to pay $1200 to get the unit replaced. this procrastination, due to cost, will insure that the wandering and knocking will ultimately result in a steering failure and accident. the dealership fixed the problem. i contacted the chrysler main and regional offices to see if they would assist in the expediture to fix the problem. they declined. mr | |||
| 12/12/2001 | |||
| Replaced steering--rack and pinion | |||
| 06/11/2002 | |||
| At 35mph steering wheel will tighten up and it is hard to turn. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak | |||
| 10/01/2001 | 2 | ||
| When making a left or right turn, steering wheel locks up, causing loss of control of vehicle due to a problem with rack and pinion. *ak *slc | |||
| 09/28/2001 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| When the steering breaks and the car is not safe to drive you should know about it. *ak | |||
| 06/15/2001 | 1 | 05/01/2000 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||
| 04/04/2005 | 86000 | 1 | 11/10/2003 |
| Steering rack binds when vehicle is turning making it very hard to control vehicle. dealer said dc will do nothing to help cover costs of replacement rack @ 1200$. have put almost a million miles on various vehicles and have never come across a defect that is as unsafe as the 300m steering.*ak | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 2 | 07/28/2003 | |
| A loud clanking noise had come from the front while making a right turn. while accelerating at any speed the noise would get louder. the driver had taken the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic determined that the rack needed to be replaced. *ak *sc | |||
| 04/23/2003 | 51150 | 2 | 11/22/1998 |
| Last evening, i lost steering power. i was backing out of a parking space! i have a 1999 chrysler 300m. the steering rack was replaced by the manufacturer in july 2000 when i complained of noise in the steering and i was told then by the dealer there were problems with the steering rack on the 1999 300m - apparently there was a design flaw in the part, and because it was being replaced with the same model piece, the dealer could not guarantee it would not happen again. at the time my car had 23,482 miles on it. the dealer told me last night that the steering rack has now been redesigned. the cost to replace it will be $1,156.95 plus tax. my car now has approximately 51,200 miles on it. i called chrysler and requested, that since this was not ordinary wear and tear, and since the part was defective from the beginning, they should pay for it. they argued that since they paid for the first replacement because the car was under warranty, they are not obligated to pay it again. i was told there had been no recall and since i did not have an extended warranty there was nothing they could do. i very nicely told them that in my opinion, the fact that the part was defective in the first place, and the same part was put back in, it most certainly is their problem and they are extremely lucky that i was not driving on the roads or a severe accident would certainly have taken place, and a lawsuit would be filed against them. they told me the only recourse i had was to ask for a discount from the service manager. is there anything you can do? this is a very dangerous situation and don't understand why chrysler did not recall it. i certainly am not the type to complain for the sake of complaining. i believe i have a legitimate complaint against chrysler and would like to pursue this issue further. i would like to be reimbursed for the cost and any guidance you can give me will be most appreciated. *jb | |||
| 09/06/2002 | |||
| While driving 45mph steering rack broke, causing loss of steering.*ak | |||
| 09/04/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| All brake pads front, rear & parking brake in process of de-laminating and dealer had to replace in order for car to pass inspection. steering rack in process of disintergrating.*ak | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 12/17/2005 | 108000 | 2 | 04/14/2001 |
| 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 started noticing it when my car was traveling about 65 to 70 mph and the wheels would vibrate, and when going over bumps there would be a clumping nose coming from the front wheels. also when making turns it seems the wheel would loose traction when it's wet. *jb | |||
| 07/07/2002 | |||
| While driving steering wheel locked up bacause of a two inch play in steering wheel.dealer contacted. steering wheel binds after making a turn; require a jerk to turn the wheel back. rack & pinion unit was the problem. *ak | |||
| 12/20/1999 | 1 | ||
| Due to ice inside the rubber boot of the rack and pinion steering, steering column locked up . dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak | |||
| 08/04/1999 | |||
| Abs brake problem; when applying the brakes on dry surface, the abs system kicks in.turned the brakes off and driver could not stop vehicle. also, steering wheel locked up and driver could not turn left or right. two dealerships were not able to duplicate these problems. please provide any further information. *ak | |||