2012 Chrysler 300 problems & reliability
425 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chrysler 300, alongside 9 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
11 complaints report injuries (13 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Chrysler 300 vehicles were involved in 49 fatal crashes with 24 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 211 | 50% |
| Air Bags | 82 | 19% |
| Power Train | 78 | 18% |
| Engine | 58 | 14% |
| Service Brakes | 28 | 7% |
| Steering | 28 | 7% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 24 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 24 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 17 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 66,000 miles (middle 50% between 43,510 and 84,375 miles), based on 294 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Gas fumes filled the cabin. I am suffering from headaches from smelling in fumes. This is dangerous and health issues. The gas tank is under passage back seat and costs $2,235 to replace primary and transfer pumps. Is this covered by a recall?”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jul 30, 2026
“I was involved in a hit and run on March 2,2026 and the airbags did not deploy at all. My car was taken to ray lathem dealership when there was a recall pertaining to the airbags back in 2019. I was told everything was corrected. Now fast forward to March 2,2026 no airbags deployed at all from the impact of crash…”
Air Bags · filed Mar 19, 2026
“Date: February 22, 2026 VIA CERTIFIED MAIL FCA US LLC Customer Care P.O. Box 21-8004 Auburn Hills, MI 48321-8004 RE: FORMAL COMPLAINT – Safety Defect (Rearview Camera Failure) Vehicle 1: 2012 Chrysler 300S (VIN: [XXX] ) Vehicle 2: 2018 Chrysler 300S (VIN: [XXX] ) To the Chrysler Customer Care Team: I am a loyal…”
Electrical System · filed Feb 22, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Vehicle rollaway, engine on
Engineering Analysis EA16002 · opened Feb 3, 2016 · closed Jun 24, 2016 · led to recall 16V424000
Technical service bulletins
261 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Chrysler 300. The 10 most recent:
Customer Satisfaction Notification 34D - Healthy Airbag Inflator Collection - Dealer Notification (Revision 1)
34D Combo Rev1 · Service Campaign · issued May 14, 2026
Customer Satisfaction Notification 34D - Healthy Airbag Inflator Collection - Dealer Notification
34D Combo · Service Campaign · issued Apr 21, 2026
The vehicle will exhibit a service transmission/check engine warning indicator for the following transmission models: 845RE, 8HP45, 850RE, 8HP50, 8HP70, 8HP75, 8HP75-PHEV, 8HP75-LCV, 8HP90, 8HP95. Transmissions may…
S2621000003 REV.A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
Pad kit - rear disc brake, front disc brake
108463 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2025
Pad kit - rear disc brake, front disc brake
108464 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 17, 2025
AIR BAG - SIDE CURTAIN
103239 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 5, 2025
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2023
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2012 Chrysler 300 has 9 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2012 Chrysler 300?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 66,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.