What 335 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Chrysler 200

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHRYSLER 200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERNAL HEADLIGHTS FAILED AND PROVIDED VERY MINIMAL ILLUMINATION. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,000. UPDATED 12/28/11*LJ UDDATED 12/28/11

NHTSA ODI 10437592

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN JULY 2011. THE CAR HAS A VERY JERKY MOTION WHEN DRIVING REGARDLESS OF THE SPEED YOU DRIVE. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TWICE AND THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS IT'S A COMPUTER PROBLEM. NO ERROR LIGHTS SHOW WHEN THEY TEST IT BUT SO MUCH OF THE VEHICLE OPERATION IS CONTROLLED BY COMPUTERS. THE SECOND TIME I HAD THE VEHICLE TEST DRIVEN BY A CHRYSLER MECHANIC WHO FELT THE JERKY MOTION AND STATED IT'S GETTING CAUGHT IN BETWEEN GEARS AND THAT A COMPUTER SOFTWARE UPGRADE IS NEEDED BUT THE CAR IS CURRENT IN SOFTWARE. THE JERKY MOTION HAS INCREASED AND NOW IS A DAILY OCCURRENCE MANY, MANY TIMES A DAY. FOR THE LAST MONTH THE JERKY MOTION (WHICH FEELS MUCH LIKE THE CAR ISN'T GETTING GAS AND SHUTS OUT FOR A SECOND OR WHEN YOU HAVE A MANUAL VEHICLE AND YOU DON'T CLUTCH TO CHANGE GEARS AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF) IS NOW ACCOMPANIED BY A BANG AND THE CAR FEELS AS IF IT'S ABOUT TO SHUT OFF. THE CAR LUNGES AND THE NOISE IS SO LOUD THE FIRST THREE TIMES IT HAPPENED I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10436533

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHRYSLER 200. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED BUT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FUNCTIONED AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400.

NHTSA ODI 10435507

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHRYSLER 200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR HEADLIGHT WOULD SHUTTER WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD TRAVEL DOWNHILL, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9,179. UPDATED 01/05/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE HIGH BEAMS AND LOW BEAMS USED A SHUTTER TO COVER PART OF THE BULB WHEN GOING DOWN HILL AND LEVELS OFF. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE ROAD AHEAD. UPDATED 01/09/12

NHTSA ODI 10435545

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHRYSLER 200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE LOW BEAM WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE PROPERLY AND APPEARED AS A SHADOW. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS TO ILLUMINATE THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES WHERE THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE LOW BEAM, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE BECAUSE IT WAS HOW THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS WERE DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DEALER TO EXPLAIN HOW TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4, 500.

NHTSA ODI 10433777

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHRYSLER 200. WHILE PARKED THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ILLUMINATION OF THE HEADLIGHTS WAS VERY LIMITED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW HIM TO SEE THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD BE ADJUSTED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600. UPDATED 11/29/11 *CN

NHTSA ODI 10433778

THIS NOT A ONE-TIME OCCURRENCE. THE HEADLIGHT LIGHT HAS A VERY NARROW HEIGHT. IT IS LITERALLY LIKE A CURTAIN OVER THE ROAD AND IS CONSTANTLY MOVING UP AND DOWN WITH THE VARIATIONS IN THE ROAD. ONE MOMENT YOU CAN SEE 500 FEET AHEAD AND THE NEXT YOU CAN'T SEE 50 FEET (I AM NOT EXAGGERATING). IT'S NOT JUST THAT THE LIGHT IS DIMMER THE HIGHER UP YOU LOOK, IT HARDLY EXISTS AT ALL. THIS CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE AT NIGHT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND WILL CAUSE A WRECK. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10433641

I FIRST GOT THE CHRYSLER 200M IN JUNE 2011. TWO DAYS AFTER PURCHASING I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND ONCE IT TURNED GREEN I TRIED TO GO THE CAR AND HAD NO GAS, NO BRAKES, AND I WAS UNABLE TO PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS. THE CAR HAD COMPLETELY SHUT OFF ON ME UNTIL I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK, TURN THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION, AND THEN RESTARTED THE CAR. MY SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ABOUT TO TAKE A LEFT. ONCE THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I PROCEEDED TO GO AND THEN I HAD COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE AGAIN; WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. I LOST MY GAS, MY BRAKES, POWER STEERING, MY RADIO SHUT OFF, AND WAS NOT ABLE TO USE MY HAZARDS AGAIN. I HAD TO PLACE THE CAR IN PARK AND ONCE AGAIN RESTART IT FOR THE CAR TO TURN BACK ON FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I THEN BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT STAYED FOR ONE WEEK; THEY SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE COULDN'T FIND THE CAUSE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT GIVEN ME BACK THE VEHICLE AND REQUESTED THEY DRIVE THE CAR WITH ME TO RULE OUT OPERATOR ERROR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10430569

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW ON JUNE 7, 2011. ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2011, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON CITY STREETS AND STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, THE VEHICLE HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. I WAS UNABLE TO EVEN TURN ON THE HAZARD WARNING SIGNALS. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY WITHOUT ANY POWER WHAT SO EVER. THIS LASTED ABOUT ONE TO THREE MINUTES AND THE VEHICLE CAME BACK TO LIFE. ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2011, TWICE THE VEHICLE HAD TWO (2) COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS. EACH TIME THIS FAILURE LASTED ONE TO THREE MINUTES AND THE VEHICLE CAME BACK TO LIFE. OCTOBER 3, 2011, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. OCTOBER 4, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:00 AM, THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY CAUSE FOR THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND RELEASED THE VEHICLE BACK TO ME. THIS SAME DAY (OCTOBER 4, 2011) I DROVE THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAYS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE HAD ANOTHER COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I HAD NO POWER ASSIST IN STEERING OR BRAKING, THE MOTOR WAS DEAD, ALL INSTRUMENTS WERE BLACK, COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE TO FIVE SECONDS AND THEN THE VEHICLE CAME BACK TO LIFE. AS A RESULTS OF THIS INCIDENT, THE RADIO SYSTEM WHEN IT CAME BACK TO LIFE WAS DAMAGED BY THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE AND I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP TO SHOW THEM PROOF THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH ITS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE DEALERSHIP IS ONCE AGAIN TRYING TO IDENTIFY AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I AM SURE THAT THE READER OF THIS COMPLAINT CAN UNDERSTAND HOW SERIOUS THIS PROBLEM IS AND THE DANGER THIS PROBLEM PRESENTS TO THE PUBLIC. AS A RESULTS OF THIS VEHICLES ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY A SEMI-TRACTOR TRAILER RIG. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10428753

FLIMSY FRONT FLOOR MAT MIGRATED AND BUNCHED UP UNDER ACCELERATOR PEDAL PREVENTING ACCELERATION AS NEEDED EVEN THOUGH MAT WAS HOOKED ON HOOK PROVIDED. HEAD END OF MAT ROTATES OVER TOWARD ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN GETTING IN AND OUT OF CAR. INABILITY TO ACCELERATE AS NEEDED COULD BE AS DANGEROUS AS A STUCK ACCELERATOR. IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT THIS SITUATION COULD ALSO RESULT IN A STUCK ACCELERATOR PEDAL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10423117