2005 Chrysler 300

No clear pattern

17.3% of complaints about the 2005 Chrysler 300 arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2005 vehicle, but with only 1,037 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is air bags (254 complaints), typically at 10.8 yr or about 74,812 miles.

Complaints: 1,037
Median age at failure: 8.9 yr
Median mileage: 74,500 n=692
Crash / fire / tow: 8.3% of reports
Safety recalls: 7 2 do not drive

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Air bags

254 reports · 74,812 mi

10.8 yr

9.8%

Power train

193 reports · 84,557 mi

7.0 yr

5.7%

Electrical system

99 reports · 67,200 mi

6.7 yr

14.1%

Engine

51 reports · 106,000 mi

10.5 yr

5.9%

Steering

43 reports · 17,800 mi

11 mo

18.6%

Fuel / propulsion

43 reports · 100,000 mi

11.7 yr

2.3%

Tires

42 reports · 20,000 mi

1.3 yr

2.4%

Engine cooling

42 reports · 40,000 mi

2.9 yr

2.4%

Suspension

38 reports · 17,000 mi

1.7 yr

7.9%

Fuel system

37 reports · 81,000 mi

7.5 yr

Exterior lighting

33 reports · 94,000 mi

8.8 yr

Other

30 reports · 100,000 mi

10.5 yr

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

16V352000 2016-05-24 Do not drive

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. With this change, Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RAM 1500, 2005-2009 RAM 2500, 2006-2009 RAM 3500, 2007-2010 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2010 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, 2004-2009 Dodge Durango, 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2012 Jeep Wrangler, 2008-2012 Dodge Challenger, 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum, 2005-2012 Chrysler 300, 2006-2012 Dodge Charger, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles originally sold, o

These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants

15V313000 2015-05-27 Do not drive

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500, 2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, 2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, 2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen, 2005-2010 Chrysler 300, 300C, 300S, and SRT8, 2006-2010 Dodge Charger, 2005-2008 Magnum, 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota, and 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

14V770000 2014-12-03

Air bags

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2004-2005 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500, 2004-2005 Dodge Durango, 2005 Dodge Dakota, 2005 Dodge Magnum and 2005 Chrysler 300, 300C and 300 SRT8 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Guam, and American Samoa are addressed by this recall. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive i

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

05V460000 2005-10-06

Power train:automatic transmission

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 42RLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE CUP PLUG THAT RETAINS THE PARK PAWL ANCHOR SHAFT MAY BE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED. IF THE SHAFT MOVES OUT OF POSITION, THE VEHICLE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE 'PARK' POSITION.

IF THIS OCCURS AND THE PARKING BRAKE IS NOT APPLIED, THE VEHICLE MAY ROLL AWAY AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

04V334000 2004-07-09

Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BATTERY CABLE FASTENERS AT THE BULKHEAD STUD MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY TIGHTENED.

A LOOSE FASTENER CAN CAUSE AN INSTRUMENT PANEL FIRE.

04V335000 2004-07-08

Seat belts:front

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FRONT SHOULDER BELT ADJUSTABLE TURNING LOOP (ATL) BOLTS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY TIGHTENED.

THIS COULD CAUSE SHOULDER BELT SEPARATION IN CERTAIN CRASH CONDITIONS, WHICH CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS.

04V333000 2004-07-08

Seat belts:rear/other

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A SPOT WELDING OPERATION FOR THE REAR FLOORPAN REINFORCEMENT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PERFORMED.

THIS COULD CAUSE THE REAR SEAT BELT ANCHORS AND/OR THE CHILD SEAT ANCHORS TO SEPARATE IN CERTAIN CRASH CONDITIONS, WHICH CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO REAR SEAT PASSENGERS.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system mileage not reported 1 mo in service

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE HORN WOULD NOT BLOW UNLESS THE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION. THE CONSUMER DID NOT FIND THIS OUT UNTIL AFTER HE HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND WENT TO THE DEALER. THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT ALL OF THE 200 CHRYSLER 300'S HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *AK THE HORN WOULD ONLY ACTIVATE IN ONE SPOT. *SC

Electrical system 80 mi 4 mo in service

HORN REQUIRES EXTENSIVE PRESSURE TO OPERATE IN "KEY" LOCATIONS ON STEERING WHEEL. OFTEN, HORN DOES NOT OPERATE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THIS IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE 1995 CHEVY IMPALA SS HORN PROBLEM DUE TO AIRBAG PLACEMENT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED NOW, OTHERWISE THERE WILL SURELY BE ACCIDENTS WHICH WERE AVOIDABLE IF THE HORN OPERATED PROPERLY.*AK

Electrical system 4,000 mi 4 mo in service

CHRYSLER 300C 2005 HORN DIFFICULT TO OPERATE IN EMERGENCY SITUATION - MUST TRY PRESSING IN SEVERAL SPOTS - THERE IS NO SPECIFIC HORN OPERATING MARKING ON THE STEERING WHEEL. *AK

Power train mileage not reported 9 mo in service

2005 CHRYSLER 300 TOURING SEDAN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE WITH NO OPERATOR ACTION WHILE TRAVELING FORWARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS ACCIDENTS EXIST IF THIS IS A GENERIC PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIR.

Other 300 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.