2005 Chrysler 300C Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2005 Chrysler 300C most often describe engine stalling right after filling the fuel tank, usually losing power steering and brakes at the same time; complaints commonly note that the car restarts but stalls again until enough fuel is used. A second common theme is the gear shifter refusing to move out of Park, followed by airbag inflator recall concerns and a range of electrical faults. Reported mileages vary widely, from under 40,000 to well past 150,000.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Stalling after refueling

   • 138 complaints (48%)
   • median 75,550 mi at 8.9 yrs old (130 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,200 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2022

   Owners report the engine cutting out within a few minutes or miles of filling the tank, sometimes repeatedly at stops, when accelerating, or at highway speed. Several note the loss of power steering and brake assist as the engine dies, and say the car needs to be shifted to Park or Neutral and cranked several times before it restarts. Some say the symptoms ease as fuel is used and return at the next fill-up, and several mention raw gasoline odor near the rear passenger side or fuel around the sending unit. Dealers in the complaints variously suspected topping off the tank, replaced an evap canister or throttle parts, or could not find stored codes. Reported across a wide mileage range, with many complaints between roughly 40,000 and 140,000 miles and a few under 25,000.

   What to check: Ask the seller whether the car stalls after a full tank and, if possible, drive it right after fueling. Check for a gasoline smell in the cabin and around the rear seat, and inspect the fuel tank area for staining or wetness.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After filling fuel tank: vehicle stalled twice while driving. Difficult restarts. This occurred on two occasions. At the second occasion, after filling, I could hear prolonged gurgling sound from fuel tank filler neck. I am convinced that this issue has something to do with the fuel tank venting system - perhaps a clogged vent tube.”

   NHTSA complaint #10725251, filed 2015-06, 70,000 miles

   “After filling the car up with gas the car stalled several times. I had to crank the car and quickly start driving to keep it from stalling. I then proceeded to drive the car 70 miles without stopping and not having any issues. This could have been very dangerous if I was driving the car in a high traffic (stop and go) area!!”

   NHTSA complaint #10550580, filed 2013-11, 39,900 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Gear shifter stuck in Park

   • 28 complaints (10%)
   • median 81,000 mi at 7.8 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2022

   Owners describe starting the car and being unable to move the shifter out of Park, with no warning beforehand. Several say the dealer identified a small plastic interlock component as the cause, and that a tow driver or online instructions showed a manual workaround to release the shifter temporarily. Some owners report being told their vehicle was not covered by an existing customer service notification for the shifter interlock lever. Reported from roughly 34,000 to over 140,000 miles, often as a sudden no-start-of-trip failure.

   What to check: With the engine running, cycle the shifter through all positions several times and confirm it releases from Park smoothly; ask whether the shifter interlock has ever been repaired.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Suddenly couldn't shift out of park. Called dealer and was told they could try to walk me through trying to get the trim around the gear shift apart to get to the pink plastic piece that is typically the problem and rig it so it could be moved or dealer said I could call tow truck and they typically know how to get it started. I got a ride home, looked on internet and saw many postings about this same problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10466329, filed 2012-07, 49,537 miles

   “When I start my car (2005 Chrysler 300C) the gear shift is stuck in park and would not move from the park position. Car starts normally, no readings on dash, gave no indication that a failure was about to occur. I called the dealership and gave my VIN number to check for recalls, there are none. There is obviously a problem because I have found videos on how to repair the problem when I searched the issue on line. Chrysler used what amounts to a plastic tie and a spring to control a 35k vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10605832, filed 2014-06, 142,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Stalling, power loss and electrical faults

   • 26 complaints (9%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 10.8 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2022

   Owners report sudden loss of power while driving, with the engine quitting and instruments, lights or warning lamps behaving erratically. Some describe corroded ground connections at the engine block and wiring that affected module communication, causing random alarms, no-starts or intermittent accessories. Others describe a check-engine light with temporary power loss under acceleration and no stored codes. Reported from very low mileage up to about 243,000 miles, with many cases above 100,000 miles.

   What to check: Ask about any history of no-starts, random alarms or warning lamps, and have the ground straps and battery connections inspected; check that the battery and charging system test cleanly.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Whenever I do a quick acceleration, my check engine light comes on and the car temporarily lose power. When the car lose power, I cannot control it, which is very dangerous. When the check engine light comes on no codes are stored. Also, I have experience this problem while sitting at a red light. For the most part, this problem mostly occur during acceleration. I have had the spark plugs replaced and throttle body cleaned but the problem presist. From my research, this problem appears to be regular throughout the Chrysler/dodge family. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11350571, filed 2020-08, 243,400 miles

   “Vehicle suddenly lost all power while driving.. Brake, engine , steering capability, lights, air bag came on, lights faded and finally stopped in middle of road and cold not start again”

   NHTSA complaint #11191047, filed 2019-03, 90 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Fuel odor and leaks at the tank

   • 21 complaints (7%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 8.5 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2011–2023

   Owners report a strong gasoline smell inside and outside the car, traced in some cases to the fuel pump or sending unit under the rear passenger-side seat, where fuel pools. Others describe the filler hose or tank seal failing and fuel leaking while parked. Some reports note refueling that clicks off early or gurgling from the filler neck. Reported mostly between about 120,000 and 189,000 miles.

   What to check: After refueling, smell the cabin and look under the rear passenger-side seat area and beneath the car for fuel residue; ask whether the tank, pump seal or filler hose has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After I refuel my car, it always smells like gas inside the cab. I recently looked to see where it is coming from, and found it on the passenger side back seat. The transfer pump has a puddle of gasoline on the back side of it. I did some research and found that other people who have this make and model car are also experiencing the same issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11386090, filed 2021-01, 189,000 miles

   “It began when I started pumping gas after it reach like 10 gallons of fuel the clicker will stop as if it was full tank already but still needed a long way to fill up so I automatically began to pump gas and it kept clicking and clicking it didn't want to keep pumping so I stop as I began driving the car began to pulled it self hard like if it was running out of gas check engine and the esp bas light when on started to smell like gas got me worried when on it kept doing it so I took it in to the dealer and they told me it was the EGR valve …”

   NHTSA complaint #10650567, filed 2014-10, 129,800 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Airbag inflator recall and warning light

   • 30 complaints (10%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 11.1 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2021

   Owners describe waiting months for inflator parts after recall notices, with the airbag warning light staying on in the meantime. One owner reports the steering-wheel airbag deploying without a collision after a recall repair, and another describes not being able to get the remedy scheduled. Reported from about 68,000 to 174,000 miles, tied to recall notification timing rather than a specific mileage.

   Recall 15V313000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 14V770000

   What to check: Check whether both airbag recalls (15V313000 and 14V770000) have been completed for the vehicle, and confirm the airbag warning light goes out after the bulb check.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Drivers side headlight does not work. We have changed the bulb , even tried one that did work from the left side . On blogs people are complaining of the same issue on the drivers side , therefore I wonder if others have reported it like myself . The air bag light is staying on as well .”

   NHTSA complaint #11389674, filed 2021-01, 150,000 miles

   “I received a recall notice and the car dealer has not received the parts to correct the problem. I have been waiting for 5 months. Notification code-p40”

   NHTSA complaint #10717500, filed 2015-05, 125,000 miles

Buying note. A 2005 300C is worth a careful pre-purchase inspection focused on post-refuel stalling, fuel odors and the shifter interlock, since these come up repeatedly in complaints. Ask for service records and confirm both airbag recalls were completed before purchase.

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.