1999 Chrysler Concorde Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe engine failure, with many reports of oil sludge, knocking and stalling on the 2.7L V6, sometimes at relatively low mileage. Stalling, timing chain damage and secondary cooling or brake problems appear across the sample, and a smaller group of complaints covers seat recliner and shift-interlock behavior that matches two existing safety recalls.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   2.7L engine failure with sludge, knocking and stalling

   • 156 complaints (47%)
   • median 78,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (128 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $5,000 (median of 38 quotes)
   • filed 1998–2011

   Owners describe the engine making a knocking or rattling noise, losing power and shutting off, sometimes with the check engine light on first. Several say a shop found sludge buildup or bearing material and told them the engine needed to be replaced, while others report timing chain damage. Some say they kept up regular oil changes and the dealer or manufacturer declined to cover the repair. Reports span roughly 37,000 to 128,000 miles, with many between 55,000 and 100,000 miles and a few well under 50,000.

   What to check: Ask for oil change records and have a mechanic check for sludge under the oil filler cap and in the filter. Listen for a knock at start-up and on acceleration, and ask whether the timing chain has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I saw a light bluish smoke come from my tailpipe once and then later in my drive the engine started making funny noises and then all of the sudden my car seized up and shut off. It restarted but then shut down again almost immediately. My engine is completely shot says my mechanic with me getting almost no compression. I was not overdue on my oil change and I had just refilled my oil 2 days previous.”

   NHTSA complaint #10130543, filed 2005-07, 115,000 miles

   “My 1999 Chrysler Concorde had a complete engine failure. It happened suddenly & without any warning lights. I was stranded on I-40 in busy traffic. The dealership says that it spun a bearing & showed me some metallic glitter in the oil. The car now needs a new engine at a cost of approximately. $4500.00- 5000.00. I have a useless 1999 Concorde with only 90k miles & I still owe $11.000. It had regular maintenance performed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10014383, filed 2003-04, 90,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Engine stalls or cuts out while driving or at stops

   • 66 complaints (20%)
   • median 81,000 mi at 6.6 yrs old (56 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $5,650 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2011

   Complaints describe the engine dying at stop lights, in intersections or at highway speed without much warning, sometimes restarting after a cooldown and sometimes not. Some owners say the dealer could not find stored codes or reproduce the problem, and one report links intermittent stalling to pressing the brake pedal. Mostly reported between 60,000 and 145,000 miles, often during normal driving rather than under load.

   What to check: During a test drive, note whether the idle is steady and whether the car restarts easily after being shut off warm. Ask whether the stall history was ever diagnosed and whether any codes were stored.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car shut off while at a stop light. It started back up, but making this awful rattling noise. I had a auto shop tell me a few things and I paid to get a few repairs that cost me closed to $1,000. Then before I could get a repair done to the timing chain of my '99' Concorde, it shut down on me as I was leaving work. I had to get it towed from the middle of traffic, during rush hour and it is now in my garage waiting to be repossessed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10157427, filed 2006-05, 104,230 miles

   “While driving down I-45 in conroe, texas, my engine sputtered, jerked, and died. As you know when you lose engine power, your steering wheel becomes locked up and its almost impossible to control the car. It has died on me before but on back roads almost home or at an intersection. I didn't realize the seriousness of it until it happened on the freeway and there are people coming up on me doing 70-80 MPH and I am quickly coming to a dead stop.”

   NHTSA complaint #10146954, filed 2006-01, 144,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Unexpected acceleration or shifter moving out of gear

   • 61 complaints (18%)
   • median 60,027 mi at 5.9 yrs old (28 state mileage)
   • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,350 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 1999–2022

   Owners describe the car revving or moving on its own with the foot off the accelerator, including in a parking lot and while stopped in reverse. Other reports involve the shifter being difficult to move, the gear indicator showing park when it was not, or the vehicle not shutting off. One owner notes the floor shift recall did not cover their vehicle by VIN. Reported from about 40,000 to 95,000 miles, in low-speed parking situations as well as at speed.

   Recall 04V021000

   What to check: Check that the recall for the floor shift interlock was performed for this VIN by asking a dealer, and confirm the key cannot be removed unless the shifter is fully in park.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had just left church, and got into my car to come home. I put on my seat belt, moved the seat forward, checked the mirrors, and with my foot depressing the brake, took off the emergency brake, and looked over my left shoulder. As I did this, I viewed a white car stopped about two cars length behind me, waiting to exit the parking lot. They waived to me to go ahead. At this point my car was completely stopped. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10032827, filed 2004-01, 39,664 miles

   “I own a 1999 Chrysler Concorde lxi. I have had numerous problems with this car since I have owned it. Lot of little things. Window motors, cooling fan, transmission overspeed sensor, and the list goes on. Now the air conditioner is going out, having to service it about every 2 months. Why I am writing though is the steering. Seems like it is going bad. I feel this is a safety issue and read many complaints on your web site concerning this. Why hasn't a recall been ordered for this and the speed up issue?”

   NHTSA complaint #10025474, filed 2003-07, 80,000 miles

Buying note. Because the most common reports center on the 2.7L V6, a pre-purchase inspection focused on sludge, oil consumption and timing chain condition is worth the cost. Also confirm which of the two seat and shifter recalls were completed for the specific VIN.

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.