NHTSA complaint: 2009 CHRYSLER 300C — SERVICE BRAKES
WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT NIGHT, OUR 09' CHRYSLER 300 COMPLETELY SHUTOFF UNEXPECTEDLY. ENGINE SHUTOFF, LOSS OF POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES...AND WORST OF ALL, ALL LIGHTS SHUTOFF! I DRIFT OFF INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE (LUCKILY MINIMAL TRAFFIC) AND STOP. PUT IN IN PARK AND RESTART THE VEHICLE...NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO ISSUES, AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. CONTINUE ON WITH LIFE... NOW A WHILE LATER, I'M DRIVING AROUND A TIGHT ROUNDABOUT AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. AND IT HAPPENS AGAIN! LOSS OF POWER STEERING IN A TURN AT LOW SPEED, AND THE WHEEL GETS RIPPED OUT OF MY HAND AS THE CAR DRIVES UP OVER THE CURBS BEFORE I CAN STOP WITH THE NOW NON-POWERED BRAKES ON THE CAR. MINIMAL DAMAGE TO VEHICLE BUT ENOUGH TO PISS ME OFF TO KNOW THAT THIS CAN LITERALLY HAPPEN AT ANY TIME... CHANGING BETWEEN HAVING POWER STEERING TO INSTANTLY NONE IS A MAJOR HAZARD IN A TURN. I CAN DEAL WITH AN ENGINE TURNOFF, BUT THIS IS A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN, AS IF THE CAR WAS SHUTOFF NOT RECOGNIZING A THE KEY IS THERE. LIGHTS, RADIO, DASHBOARD, ETC....ALL TURN OFF (I'M GUESSING AIRBAGS TOO?) I HAVE NOW RESEARCHED THIS AND I AM FAR FROM THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE. IT IS PRETTY MUCH NARROWED DOWN TO A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE WIRELESS IGNITION NODE AND THE KEY FOB, AND THE MODULE THINKING THE FOB HAS BEEN TURNED OFF WHEN IT FACT IT HASN'T. CHRYSLER HAS RECALLED THIS PART FOR MODEL YEARS PRIOR, AND AFTER 09', BUT HAVE SEEMED TO SKIP THE 300C FOR 2009. WELL GUESS WHAT, 2009 300C WIN MODULE'S ARE FAULTY ALSO... AND JU
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation