2005 Chrysler 300 Hemi C from North America - Comments

Power windows intermittently work after 2 years of owning the car.

Torque converter blew a year ago at 67k miles, and blew a few days ago at 94k miles.

Transmission leaks fluid constantly. Cannot top off because it's sealed.

Visor clips break every 6 months.

Engine thermostat gauge went out at 76k miles.

Bought this car brand new when it came out. I absolutely love it! It has tons of power and still turns heads when I drive around with it.

Yet, this car has disappointed me.

The shoddy American build quality is obvious throughout the entire car. After the first year I had it, the paint started to come off the climate control buttons. Also the visor clips are a joke. They break every few months.

The transmission is a joke. If you don't inspect it every 3k miles, it starts to leak onto the pan, and next thing you know it starts to slip.

Also, the engine temperature gauge broke this last summer. Costs $800 to fix because the entire dash has to be replaced!!

Also the power windows intermittently work. Some days they go down, some days they don't. Some days with the front automatic windows, they go up halfway and go back down.

Took it to the dealer for the first 50k miles. never again. They put the wrong brake pads on once and the entire brake system has never been the same. Now I take it to a private mechanic.

So-so mileage. I average 18 with half freeway, half city driving.

Despite all its problems, I still love this car! It's very quick and extremely fun to drive. Doesn't handle as good as my Volvo, but it's still my favorite.

In Australia I've seen a few of these being used as higher class taxi's, including the diesel powered versions. It'll be interesting to see how long they last being driven in that sort of environment. Even our state premier now drives (or is driven in) a CRD 300C instead of a locally built V8.

Yet another commenter, who based on experience with a single vehicle, freely broad-brushes the entire American auto industry.

As regards the last comment, on what basis would you expect the review? He or she has formed their opinion on the vehicle they have owned, if it appears to them that the vehicle is shoddy and badly built and happens to be American, should they not have an opinion?

Their opinion is based only on one single vehicle. Furthermore, we, the reader, have no idea how they actually treated that car. Their review is actually suspect when they talk about how much they love the power, and in the next breath talk about how the transmission is starting to slip. Sounds like somebody who tromps the throttle all the time, and then wonders why the car is getting worn out so quickly.

Their opinion is based on one car: that limits them to AT BEST saying "all Chrysler 300's are junk" although even that is a stretch. They have no basis upon which to say even "all Chryslers are junk" let alone "all American cars are cheaply built."

Surprise, surprise, very few of us know how other people treat their vehicles. Have a look at reviews of American vehicles of recent manufacture mostly submitted from North America, as was this review, and you will find complaints as regards quality and reliability in the majority of reports.

"21st Apr 2009, 00:12

Surprise, surprise, very few of us know how other people treat their vehicles. Have a look at reviews of American vehicles of recent manufacture mostly submitted from North America, as was this review, and you will find complaints as regards quality and reliability in the majority of reports."

Perhaps, because people are more likely to take time to write on a site like this if they have a problem. What point, if any, are you trying to make? You can't seriously be suggesting that because the visor clips on this one Chrysler 300 broke, that every North American auto is substandard. Besides, if you have some sort of anti-American agenda, the Chrysler 300 is built in Canada, so sorry.

Sorry I must have misread the original comment. I thought there was a complaint about a transmission problem. Anti American HA HA.

I'm not sure how "American" your 300C Chryslers are. I know for a fact that for the New Zealand and Australian market the 300c is assembled in Austria. I'm not sure if that applies to the US market version too.

Well.

For all the folks that wants to know the American quality? I can answer a lot for that, after owning american vehicles.

As you can see on my other reviews, I have an 07 Chrysler 300 base model with the 2.7l V6 and 4 speed auto. The car now has around 116,000 miles on it in two years, no problems whatsoever, just regular maintenance.

We have a high class transportation company here in Scottsdale, az, and we drive around 300 miles a day.

I also have a 2002 Cadillac Escalade with a 5.3l V8, that has around 450,000 with factory brakes. The only problem we had with it was water pump at 90,000, A/C compressor at 120,000, and transmission at 250,000. Other than that, it is a champ and will run forever.

Real good American cars are full size GM SUVs, Chrysler 300s, Lincoln Town Cars, and I have seen an 05 300 with 290,000 operated by Transtyle Arizona, and Town Cars with over 400,000. And that is serious driving. Now you tell me how many Japanese or European vehicles do you see on the road as a daily driver with over 400k ruining like a champ, and looking cherry?

dean: dinkhan@gmail.com

RE: Limos and cabs lasting forever, while private party cars die at 50,000?!?

I've driven a cab in my past and had some interesting conversations with the taxi company mechanics. They said that some reason cabs go to 400,000 miles or so is:

1. Rear wheel drive.

2. Inspections by mechanics much more often than most drivers do.

3. (most important) Not so many cold start, on-off 2 mile trips. If you drive your car every day from a cold start to 2 miles away, park it for a few hours, then drive 2 miles, park it for a while, etc that really gives a lot more wear per mile on components as they never really get warm and lubricated. Yes, cabs have lots of 2 mile trips, but the engine doesn't get cold in between. And, god knows how cab drivers can be hard on transmissions, but we did learn how to baby bad Automatic transmissions and wait a few seconds between park, drive and reverse, sometimes with the brake on to build up pressure...