2012 Chrysler 200 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2012 Chrysler 200 most often describe the engine shutting off without warning while driving, sometimes with a long wait before it restarts, and a separate cluster of complaints about no heat on the passenger side that leaves the windshield hard to clear in cold weather. Electrical complaints center on the totally integrated power module, which owners say was replaced after stalling, a horn that sounds on its own, or lights and windows that quit.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine stalls or shuts off while driving

   • 154 complaints (24%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (133 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,369 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2025

   Complaints describe the engine quitting without warning at highway speeds, at stop lights, or while turning, with power steering and power brakes lost at the same time. Some say the car restarts immediately, others that it needs anywhere from ten minutes to an hour before it will start again, and several report no warning light or stored code. Dealers reportedly replaced the fuel pump, crank sensor, or fuel tank in some cases, and in others could not reproduce the failure. Spread from very low mileage up to roughly 185,000 miles, with many reports between about 60,000 and 150,000 miles and no clear seasonal pattern.

   Recall 11V4870004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the powertrain control module has been reprogrammed and whether the fuel pump relay or module has been addressed; note any history of stalls and whether the car restarts reliably after sitting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle randomly stalls, reverse and drive. It will stall in traffic, while driving and backing out of the driveway. I had a p0335 code after it stalled about 10 time. I have changed the crankcase sensor 3 times but does not correct the issue. Also have electrical issue with windows not working and only half the defrost working.”

   NHTSA complaint #11408186, filed 2021-04, 143,256 miles

   “When driving the vehicle will suddenly shut off. No warning of it about to happen just does. I lose steering and brakes and turns on only after time goes by or by removing negative terminal from battery. It's happened at 35mph and at 60 MPH. I've gone a week with no incident to having it happen dozens of times on a single trip. Very scary situation. Especially in traffic.”

   NHTSA complaint #11413701, filed 2021-04, 116,000 miles
2. 2
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   No heat on passenger side, windshield won't defrost

   • 117 complaints (18%)
   • median 68,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (95 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,600 (median of 19 quotes)
   • filed 2014–2022

   Owners report cold air from the passenger-side vents while the driver's side heats normally, which leaves the passenger half of the windshield slow to defrost or fogged in cold weather. Several complaints describe brown sludge or build-up in the cooling system and say the heater core was clogged or replaced, in some cases more than once. Complaints also mention broken blend door actuators that click, and a bad smell or film on the inside of the glass. Reported from about 30,000 to 115,000 miles, mostly in cold weather and often noticed around defrosting.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Run the heater on a cold morning and check that both sides of the windshield get hot air, ask whether the heater core or blend door actuators have been replaced, and look at coolant condition for sludge.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I turn on the heat, the passenger side vents blow cold air. This is a problem to drive using my air/heat because it's draining my coolant. This causes my temperature gage to rise. This happens regardless of my car being stable or in motion. This, at times, also causes my windshield to become foggy.”

   NHTSA complaint #11327472, filed 2020-06, 68,000 miles

   “No heat on passenger side of vehicle, blows cold air. However, there is heat on driver's side. I took it to dealership broke heater door/actuator. I get to the part that needs repair I was given a quote of $650 to remove dashboard- labor cost., repair/replace cost is not part of the $650. Reviews show there have been numerous complaint with this same problem for 2012 200 Chrysler. It 's a safety issue because passenger side windshield does not defrost because of cold air being blown out . . . …”

   NHTSA complaint #11072942, filed 2018-02, 76,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Power module failure, horn sounds on its own, lights and

   • 100 complaints (16%)
   • median 58,450 mi at 4.5 yrs old (80 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,150 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2025

   Complaints describe the totally integrated power module failing, with the car stalling or failing to start, the horn sounding by itself while driving, and headlights, tail lights, or power windows becoming inoperable. Several owners say the module was replaced or that a repair kit was recommended, and others say the dealer could not find a fault. Some reports link the horn and stalling symptoms to the same module or fuse box area. Mostly reported between about 70,000 and 150,000 miles, with some at lower mileage.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the power module or its connector has been serviced, test that the horn is silent when parked, and check that all lights and windows operate normally.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On 1/12/2020 while driving home from work I turned on my right turn signal to merge and it rapidly clicked and flashed on the dash after the initial 3 normal flashes and I noticed the car in the lane next to me wasn't acknowledging my turn signal. Once home an hour later, I realized my passenger rear tail light was steadily light (not flashing) even though my car was off and my lights were not engaged and position off. I could not get my turn signal/tail light to turn off. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11299253, filed 2020-01, 154,899 miles

   “Car stalled out while driving. This happened several times. Sometimes while driving on a straight road and sometimes when making a sharp turn to park. Car horn also started going off on it's own while driving. Had to have the tipm module replaced. This is a safety issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11298269, filed 2020-01, 14,024 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Overheating and coolant loss

   • 81 complaints (13%)
   • median 68,750 mi at 5.3 yrs old (64 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,600 (median of 19 quotes)
   • filed 2013–2024

   Owners describe the temperature gauge climbing quickly after startup or while driving, sometimes with no warning before steam appears, and say thermostats, water pumps, and coolant leaks were chased without solving it. Some complaints describe a blown head gasket or repeated coolant loss tied to the cooling system build-up. A few owners connect the overheating to an engine and cooling recall campaign. Generally reported above 100,000 miles, with many reports between 115,000 and 160,000 miles.

   Recall 11V4870004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check coolant level and condition when cold, ask about any history of overheating or head gasket work, and confirm whether the car had the engine-related recall campaign performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car won't stop overheating, we have replaced thermostats and pumps thinking there was a leak but that never stopped the problem. 20 seconds after starting the car the engine is already at the halfway mark for how hott it is, and even goign 30 miles an hour get all the way to the top and starts overheating. On my way to work I almost crashed cause it showed no indicators at al!!! Just starting bellowing smoke. So I pulled over and turned it off and didnt move it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11415557, filed 2021-05, 100,000 miles

   “The heater core become clogged preventing air flow, to defrost the windshield on the passenger side of the car. I even did the regular scheduled coolant flushes to prevent this from happening, and it still happened. It becomes dangerous as the vehicle heater core becomes so backed up that not even a full heater core flush can save it. I have read on line that this is a issue that happens to a lot Chrysler vehicles, and it sounds as if it has to do a lot to with the car was manufactured through the sand cast process. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11310029, filed 2020-02, 107,000 miles
5. 5
   Other or unknown

   Active head restraints deploy on their own

   • 36 complaints (6%)
   • median 76,000 mi at 5.8 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2026

   Complaints describe the driver or passenger active head restraint deploying while the car is parked or stopped, with the engine running, without any impact. Owners say the restraint cannot be reset and that broken plastic pieces are visible, and some report an air bag or seat belt warning light afterward. Dealers reportedly quoted repair costs, and one owner said the vehicle was not included in a related seat recall. Reported mostly between about 30,000 and 135,000 miles, both while parked and while stopped in traffic.

   Recall 17V640000Recall 16V668000

   What to check: Check whether the vehicle was included in the occupant restraint recalls, and inspect both front head restraints for signs of having deployed or been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driver side active head restraint deployed while vehicle was stopped a convenience store, with the engine running, hitting the driver on the back of the head and startling him. Vehicle was not involved in an accident of any kind. Head restraint could not be reset and broken plastic pieces could be seen in headrest.”

   NHTSA complaint #11341861, filed 2020-07, 134,500 miles

   “Drivers side head rest deployed while vehicle was parked, it is very fortunate that this happened while no one was sitting in the chair at that time. My question is, will this also happen with the drivers side head rest?”

   NHTSA complaint #11311182, filed 2020-02, 90,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection focused on stalling history, the power module, cooling system condition, and heater operation covers most of what owners report here, and it is worth confirming which of the occupant restraint and engine campaigns this particular vehicle has had done.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.