2000 CHRYSLER 300M Air Bags Problems

THE AIR BAG LIGHT FLASH ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING

Mileage: 252,424

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHRYSLER 300M. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING FAILED TO WORK AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE HORN FAILED TO WORK AND THE CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED AND DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 99V343000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT VEHICLE BEHIND ME DID NOT STOP AND REAR ENDED ME. BOTH FRONT SEATS IN MY CAR LET LOOSE AND THE SEAT BACKS WENT FULLY RECLINED. MY WIFE AND I WERE BOTH LAYING ON OUR BACKS WITH HEADS ON THE BACK SEAT. THE CAR WAS STILL MOVING, IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO GET UPRIGHT AND STOP THE CAR. CHRYSLER TOLD ME THE SEATS ARE DESIGNED THIS WAY. HERE IS WHAT THEY SAID "THE SEATS IN YOUR VEHICLE. OUR DESIGN TO PROGRESSIVELY TILT JUST DURING A REAR IMPACT COLLISION. THE IDEA BEHIND THAT, IS THAT IT DOES LESSON INJURIES TO THE FRONT SEAT VEHICLE OCCUPANTS ONCE THAT HAPPENS SO THAT WOULD BE A NORMAL OCCURRENCE FOR YOUR VEHICLE IN A REAR END COLLISION". I SAY [XXX]. IF SOMEONE WAS IN THE BACK THE SEAT WOULD HAVE BROKEN THEIR LEGS. IT WAS NOT A"PROGRESSIVE" TILT, THEY FLEW BACK. THEY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Mileage: 140,000

2000 CHRYSLER 300M, FRONT IMPACT WITH 1,600 LBS STEER, AT 55 MPH. TOTALED CAR AND SEVERELY INJURED DRIVER. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THIS HAPPENED AT 1 A.M., COW WAS A BLACK ANGUS THAT RAN OUT OF DITCH DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF CAR. BACK OF COW CRASHED THROUGH ENTIRE WINDSHIELD, STOPPED CAR IMMEDIATELY ON IMPACT. *NM

Mileage: 65,000

HIGHWAY CRASH AT 60+ MPH WHERE MOST OF IMPACT WAS IN FRONT AND ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. NEITHER THE DRIVER NOR PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *NM

Mileage: 110,000

FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG COVER (ON DASHBOARD) IS GRADUALLY SPLITTING OPEN. *NM

Mileage: 80,000

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE CONTACT HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM THE REAR AND THE FRONTAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED FRONTAL DAMAGE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. ALTHOUGH THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALERTED, NO APPOINTMENT FOR INSPECTION HAS BEEN MADE. UPDATED 4/11/2006 - *NM

Mileage: 150,551

2000 CHRYSLER 300M DEVELOPED A 10" CRACK OVER PASSENGER AIRBAG. *JB

Mileage: 79,000

POSSIBLE AIRBAG DEFECT. *NM

A SLIT HAS OPENED IN THE DASHBOARD, APPARENTLY ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE (WHEN VIEWED FROM INSIDE THE CAR) OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. CHRYSLER INITIALLY DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS, SAYING IT MUST HAVE BEEN OUR PROBLEM. FOLLOW UP CONVERSATIONS WITH THE LOCAL DEALER SUGGEST THAT CHRYSLER NOW KNOWS IT IS A PROBLEM . *AK

Mileage: 60,000

A CRACK HAS DEVELOPED ON THE DASHBOARD AROUND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OF MY 2000 CHRYSLER 300M. THE CRACK DEVELOPED AROUND 40,000 MILES.*AK

Mileage: 40,000

AIR BAG FAILED TO GO OFF IN 2000 CHRYSLER 300M. I WAS HIT HEAD ON BY A SMALL PICK UP. WITNESSES SAYS OTHER DRIVER DOING 55/60 MPH. I WAS TRAVELING AT 45 MPH. BOTH OBVIOUSLY BRAKING AT IMPACT BUT NO DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. MY HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. LUMP AND BAD BRUISING AS A RESULT. CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THEY OFFERED TO FIX AIR BAGS FREE IF CAR STILL UNDER WARRANTY. CAR WAS TOTALED SO POINT IS MUTE. *NM

Mileage: 57,000

ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, I NOTICED THAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH, A 1" CRACK HAD STARTED TO DEVELOP AROUND THE AIR BAG OF MY 2000 CHRYSLER 300M. I AM THE CRACK IS NOW ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AIR BAG AND EACH ARE AT LEAST 10" LONG. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY PROPERLY. MY LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER SAID TO FIX IT WITH A VINYL REPAIR KIT, BUT IT WOULD BE UNSIGHTLY. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED TO HAVE SUCH A NEW CAR HAVE THIS DASH CONDITION.*AK

Mileage: 40,000

A 2 INCH CUT IS NOW VISIBLE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH, WHICH IS THE EDGE OF THE AIRBAG HOUSING. I AM CONCERNED THAT ANY DASH REPAIR WILL CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO NOT OPERATE PROPERLY IN THE CASE OF A COLLISION.*AK

Mileage: 50,233

ON AUG. 4, 2004 I WAS IN A CRASH THAT RESULTED IN MY 2000 CHRYSLER 300M BEING TOTALLED. I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH WHEN A ONCOMING TRUCK TURNED IN FRONT OF ME. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I AM WONDERING IF THEY SHOULD HAVE THE VIN # IS [XXX]. *AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

6 INCH VERTICAL CRACK DIRECTLY OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. I FEEL THAT DUE TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID AIRBAG, THIS POSES A SERIOUS RISK TO ANYONE RIDING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.*AK

Mileage: 72,500

DASHBOARD PADDING CRACKED AROUND THE AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE COMPARTMENT/COVER AREA. CONSUMER HAD A CONCERN THAT IT MAY CAUSE A PROBLEM WITH AIR BAG DEPLOYING IMPROPERLY OR INADVERTENTLY. *AK

Mileage: 30,000

THE PORTION OF THE DASHBOARD COVERING THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG ON MY 2000 CHRYSLER 300M HAS TWO LARGE CRACKS CORRESPONDING WITH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRBAG STORAGE AREA. ONE CRACK IS OVER 12" LONG AND THE OTHER IS APPROX. 8" LONG. THEY ARE UNSIGHTLY, ESPECIALLY FOR A TOP-OF-THE-LINE VEHICLE LIKE THE 300M, BUT I AM AFRAID TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIALLY ADVERSE AFFECT IT MAY HAVE ON DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG IN A COLLISION. I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY 300M DASHES ARE BEGINNING TO CRACK AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS COULD RESULT IN A REAL SAFETY ISSUE IF PEOPLE START REPAIRING THESE WITH VINYL PATCH KITS THAT HAMPER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS DASH PROBLEM. THEY HAVE A DESIGN FLAW IN THE THICKNESS OF THE DASH SKIN. *AK

SPONTANIUS DASHBOARD CRACKING OVER PASSENGER AIRBAG CAVITY. DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR BECAUSE OF EXPIRATION OF WARRANTY. I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE AIRBAGS ABILITY TO SAFELY DEPLOY.

LAST YEAR, I NOTICED A CRACK FOLLOWING THE LEFT SIDE OF MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. LAST WEEK, I NOTICED A SIMILIAR CRACK FOLLOWING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRBAG. LOCAL DEALERSHIP WILL NOT REPAIR BECAUSE OF AIRBAG AND STATES THE ENTIRE DASH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. I KNOW OF MANY OTHER CHYSLER 300M OWNERS THAT HAVE THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH CRACKS AROUND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE RESULTING FROM A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR A RECALL.

ONE WEEK AGO A 3" SPLIT APPEARED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE DASHBOARD VINYL NEAR THE AIR BAG. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS IN SOMEWAY RELATED TO, OR IS GOING TO AFFECT, THE OPERATION OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS BEGINNING TO OCCUR IN MANY 1999 AND 2000 300M'S. FOUR YEARS SEEMS MUCH TOO EARLY FOR A PROBLEM LIKE THIS TO OCCUR. THE VINYL IS STILL RESILIENT AND PLIABLE, NOT HARD OR BRITTLE. MY LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER (ALLEN JAY) TELLS ME THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT. THEY SUGGESTED I SEE ABOUT HAVING REPAIRED BY SOMEONE WHO DOES VINYL REPAIR. IN MY OPINION THIS WOULD FURTHER AFFECT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK

Mileage: 57,100

DASH CRACKING AROUND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG

THE DASHBOARD COVER IS CRACKING IN TWO PLACES WHICH ARE DIRECTLY ABOVE THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG. THE AIR BAG APPEARS TO BE EXPANDING UNDERNEATH THE DASH COVER. THE AIR BAG MAY NOT PROPERLY DEPLOY IF THERE IS A COLLISON. AUTO IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND CHRYSLER HAS REFUSED TO INSPECT OR REPAIR THIS SITUATION ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME VEHICLE WITH SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ASSEMBLY DATES. CHYRSLER OWNER'S MANUAL WARNS AGAINST ANY REPAIRS TO THE AIR BAG EXCEPT BY THEIR AUTHORIZED DEALERS. I HAVE SEEN THIS CONDITION IN THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR OF MANUFACTURE, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTS IN THE NHTSA DATA BASE. *AK

Mileage: 75,000

I OWN A CHRYSLER 300M 2000 AIR BAG HOUSING (DASHBOARD) IS CRACKING AND THIS COULD CAUSE THE AIR BAG TO BE DEFECTIVE. DEALER NOTIFIED. REFUSE TO DO ANTHING ABOUT IT.*AK

Mileage: 48,100

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE AIR BAG HOUSING IS CRACKING AND THIS COULD CAUSE THE AIR BAG TO BE DEFECTIVE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

12-29-00 TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 45MPH ANOTHER CAR MADE A TURN WITHOUT YIELDING WITH NO TIME TO STOP I HIT THE OTHER CAR BOTH CARS WERE TOTAL LOSES BUT THE AIRBAGS NEVER OPENED UP TO PREVENT INJURIES ---- THANKS CHRYSLER -*AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HIT ICE, VEHICLE SPINNED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. *AK

WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I HIT A TREE DEAD ON GOING ABOUT 35 MPH, AND AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. THE FRONT OF THE CAR IS "TOTALLED" HOWEVER, IT CAN BE REPAIRED. EXACT DAMAGE COST HAVE YET TO BE FIGURED, BUT IT WILL BE BETWEE $3000-$5000. THE CAR IS ONLY 6 MONTHS OLD.*AK

WHEN APPLYING ABS BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, AND RESULTING IN A COLLISION. ALSO, REAR PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP, SEATBACK COLLASPED, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURHER DETAILS. *AK