1999 Chrysler 300M Exterior lighting Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHRYSLER 300M. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATE AT NIGHT. THE CONTACT HAD TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO COULD NOT FIND THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST TO BE PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

NHTSA ID

10454966

Incident

Jul 13, 2011

Mileage

71,000 mi

HEADLIGHT LENS (BOTH) HAVE BECOME VERY CLOUDY AND IS REDUCING BRIGHTNESS OF LIGHTS. WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED SOON. OVER $300 EACH PLUS LABOR. *JB

NHTSA ID

10138232

Incident

Sep 8, 2004

Mileage

100,000 mi

DT: CONTACT STATED THE PLASTIC COVERING ON THE HEADLIGHTS FOGGED UP AND BECAME DIRTY . THEY ARE NO LONGER EFFECTIVE DURING USE. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, THEY COULD REPLACE THE COVERING OF THE LIGHTS AT THE CONSUMERS EXPENSE. *AK. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE MUST USE THE HIGH BEAMS AT TIMES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10130281

Incident

Jul 7, 2005

HEADLIGHT LENS IS VERY CLOUDY. OXIDATION APPEARED ON THE LENS. CONSUMER FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE.*AK *TC

NHTSA ID

10109242

Incident

Jan 13, 2005

Mileage

45,000 mi

THERE IS A FILM THAT COVERS THE HEADLIGHTS. CONSUMER STATES THAT IT IS HARD TO SEE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT HE COULD REPLACE THE LENS FOR A TOTAL OF $1,000. *AK

NHTSA ID

10094253

Incident

Apr 1, 2004

OUR 1999 CHRYSLER 300M (VIN #2C3-HE66G2XH-622721) HAS PLASTIC AERODYNAMIC HEAD LAMPS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED A "HAZE" THAT SEVERELY REDUCES THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ROAD AT NIGHT. I AM NOT AN ENGINEER AND DO NOT PURPORT TO OFFER A PROFESSIONAL OPINION ON THIS ISSUE, BUT CAN REPORT AS A CONSUMER THAT THE ILLUMINATION APPEARS TO BE ABOUT HALF OF WHAT IT WAS WHEN THE CAR WAS NEW. THIS HAZE BEGAN APPEARING SOMEWHERE IN THE THREE TO FOUR YEAR OF AGE RANGE. IT TOOK A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON BUT BY FIVE YEARS OF AGE THE DETERIORATION WAS AT A POINT WHERE WE BELIEVE IT IS A LIGHTING SAFETY ISSUE. I DISCUSSED THIS SITUATION WITH TED VOGALIE WHO IS THE DISTRICT LEVEL REPRESENTATIVE FOR CHRYSLER ON JANUARY 16, 2004 AT THE ANCIRA CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN SAN ANTONIO, TX. I REQUESTED THAT CHRYSLER TREAT THIS AS A DEFECTIVE PART AND REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS. MR. VOGALIE REFUSED TO OFFER THIS ASSISTANCE. IN OUR CONVERSATION HE MADE MUCH OF THE FACT THAT THE HAZE APPEARED TO BE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHT AND CITED THIS AND THE AGE/MILEAGE OF THE CAR (5 YEARS/ 57,000 MILES) AS REASONS FOR NOT OFFERING TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT THIS CAR'S USAGE CAN BE CHARACTERIZED AS "CODDLED" SINCE IT IS ROUTINELY PARKED IN A GARAGE AND HAS NO UNUSUAL ROAD CONDITIONS OR OTHER UNUSUAL USAGE. THIS CONDITION IS DANGEROUS ENOUGH THAT I HAVE ORDERED REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHTS AND AM GOING TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS EVEN THOUGH THE RETAIL COST OF DOING THIS REPLACEMENT IS AROUND $800. IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT CHRYSLER IS ALLOWED TO EQUIP AN AUTOMOBILE WITH A DEFECTIVE PART LIKE THIS THAT POSES A SAFETY ISSUE SO EARLY IN THE AUTOMOBILE'S LIFE AND UNLOAD A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR ON THE CONSUMER. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUED BY CHRYSLER ON THE CAR AND THIS PART IS NOT COVERED. *CB

NHTSA ID

10054423

Incident

Jan 16, 2004

Mileage

40,000 mi

I HAVE A CHRYSLER 300 M VIN # [XXX]. THE AERODYNAMIC HEAD LIGHTS ON THE CAR DEVELOPED A HAZE THAT SEVERELY REDUCES THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ROADWAY AT NIGHT. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAY THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED WARRANTY. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS PROBABLY A GOVERNMENT STANDARD OR ENGINEERING STANDARD FOR THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF ROAD ILLUMINATION NEEDED TO MAKE OPERATION OF A VEHICLE SAFE AT NIGHT. I WONDER HOW MANY CARS ARE DRIVING IN SUBSTANDARD LIGHTING CONDITIONS DUE TO HAVING THESE PLASTIC LENSES THAT DO NOT HOLD UP TO ROAD CONDITIONS AND ARE SO HAZY AS TO MAKE SAFE DRIVING VISIBILITY QUESTIONABLE. I KNOW THAT ALL THE MODERN CARS HAVE THESE TYPE LENSES BUT HOW CAN THE NHTSA NOT REQUIRE THAT THESE DEVICES BE MADE TO ENDURE THE EXPECTED LIFE OF THE VEHICLES THEY ARE INSTALLED ON. WHEN THEY ARE NEW THEY LOOK GOOD. BEYOND 2 YEARS THEY BEGIN TO DETERIORATE RAPIDLY. AND HERE IS THE REAL CUSTOMER RIP OFF: THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT FOR A MERE $700 PLUS DOLLARS THEY CAN REPLACE THESE FIXTURES. THEY ALSO COME WITH NO GUARANTEE!. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE EARLIER MODEL CARS THAT HAD GLASS HEAD LAMPS AND COULD BE REPLACED FOR LESS THAT $ 10.00 TOTAL. THEY DID NOT HAZE UP LIKE THIS EXPENSIVE CHEAP PLASTIC. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW HOW MANY NIGHT TIME ACCIDENTS REALLY HAPPEN BECAUSE OF POOR VISIBILITY, YET DO NOT GET ATTRIBUTED TO SUCH SIMPLY BECAUSE THE DRIVERS DID HAVE THEIR LIGHTS ON AND THAT IS ALL THAT WAS CONSIDERED NECESSARY. AGAIN IF YOU DRIVE VERY MUCH YOU PROBABLY HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY THE ROAD PATROL AT NIGHT DUE TO HAVING A HEAD LAMP OUT. SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS PROBLEM IS JUST AS SIGNIFICANT AS DRIVING WITH A HEAD LAMP OUT. WHAT ARE WE MISSING HERE? IS IT AGAINST THE LAW FOR ME TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITHOUT ANY LIGHTS? THERE MUST BE SOME REQUIREMENT TO ENSURE THAT MANUFACTURERS DESIGN WITH ADEQUATE LIGHTING FOR DRIVING AT NIGHT, AND THAT SHOULD MEAN THAT THE LIGHTING BE SERVICEABLE FOR THE EXPECTED LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. *LA INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMA

NHTSA ID

10047546

Incident

Nov 25, 2003

Mileage

24,000 mi

THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE ARE MADE OF PLASTIC WHICH HAS FADED INTO A YELLOW COLOR, MAKING IT VERY HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT. TOOK TO DEALER. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10045433

Incident

May 1, 2003

CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME THE HEADLIGHT LENSES START TO TURN FROM CLEAR TO A WHITE CLOUDY COLOR, CONSUMER CAN BARELY SEE THE ROAD. *AK

NHTSA ID

10026628

Mileage

12,000 mi

DASH LIGHTS BLINK ON/OFF WHEN HEAD LIGHT SWITCH IS IN THE AUTOMATIC POSITION. THE AUTOMATIC HEAD LIGHT SWITCH IS NO LONGER RELIABLE. LIGHTS NEED TO TURNED ON/OFF MANUALLY. AT THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 300M, THIS FAULTY SWITCH IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY. ONE YEAR LATER, INTERIOR DASH LIGHTS NOW BLINK ON/OFF CAUSING DISTRACTION. DRIVERS SEAT POSITION BUTTON IS NOW STARTING TO MOVE UP AND BACK DURING INCORRECT TIMES. AT TIMES SEAT POWER DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. TOTALLY ELECTRICAL???

NHTSA ID

10005384

Incident

Jun 1, 2001

THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE ARE MADE OF PLASTIC, WHICH HAS FADED INTO A YELLOW COLOR WHICH MAKES IT VERY HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT. TOOK TO DEALER. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

NHTSA ID

8008951