2021 Chrysler 300 Problems: 12 Known Issues

On the 2011-2023 Chrysler 300 5.7L HEMI V8, the 5.7L HEMI V8 suffers from MDS lifter design defect where needle bearings are undersized. Lifters can be starved of oil during idle, causing seizure and catastrophic camshaft wear leading to engine failure.

On the 2011-2023 Chrysler 300 3.6L V6, the plastic oil filter housing develops cracks and gasket failures due to heat cycling. Chrysler discontinued original plastic part but never issued recall despite widespread problem.

On the 2005-2023 Chrysler 300 5.7L HEMI V8, the 5.7L HEMI is notorious for exhaust manifold bolts breaking, especially on the passenger side. Thermal cycling causes bolts to become brittle and snap. Creates a ticking noise at cold startup that partially diminishes as engine warms but never fully goes away. Broken bolts can be extremely difficult to extract if snapped flush with the cylinder head.

On the 2011-2023 Chrysler 300, starter motors fail prematurely or intermittently. Grinding noise during starting indicates worn starter gear. Electrical issues including corroded battery terminals, failed neutral safety switch, and bad starter relay contribute to no-start.

On the 2011-2023 Chrysler 300, power window regulators and motors fail frequently, particularly rear doors. Cable in regulator breaks or motor burns out. Window stuck in down or up position. Motor and regulator sold as assembly, cannot be separated.

On the 2011-2023 Chrysler 300, water pumps fail prematurely due to bearing and seal wear. Air pockets frequently form in cooling system after repairs. The 300 is difficult to properly bleed air from cooling system.

On the 2011-2023 Chrysler 300, aBS control module suffers internal failures due to short circuits in main circuit board. Prevents proper ABS operation and stores fault codes. While regular braking functions, vehicle loses anti-lock capability, traction control, and stability control.

On the 2012-2023 Chrysler 300, the ZF 8-speed automatic develops harsh shifting, especially in 2nd gear. Valve body is primary failure point. Cold shifting particularly problematic. Chrysler states "sealed for life" but failures occur before 150,000 miles.

On the 2011-2023 Chrysler 300, oEM control arm bushings fail prematurely around 20,000-40,000 miles instead of typical 100,000+ lifespan. Bushings press-fitted into arms and cannot be replaced separately on most applications, requiring full control arm replacement.

On the 2011-2023 Chrysler 300, rear differential develops whining from failed pinion bearing or ring/pinion wear. LX platform differentials have inherent whine, but excessive noise indicates bearing failure. Front differentials on AWD fail at 40,000-60,000 miles.

On the 2011-2023 Chrysler 300, evaporative emission control system develops small leaks triggering P0456 code. Most commonly failed gas cap, chaffed EVAP purge pipe harness, or failed purge solenoid. Triggers check engine light and prevents emissions testing pass.

On the 2005-2023 Chrysler 300, the Chrysler 300 uses Chrysler's proprietary natural-vacuum leak detection hardware instead of a conventional pressure-based leak detection pump. On 2005-2006 cars this is the NVLD (Natural Vacuum Leak Detection) valve/solenoid; from 2007 onward it is the ESIM (Evaporative System Integrity Monitor), a small spring-and-diaphragm switch mounted on or next to the charcoal/vapor canister on the left underbody ahead of the fuel tank. Both work the same way: as the sealed EVAP system heats and cools, natural pressure/vacuum changes trip an internal switch the PCM reads to confirm the system is sealed. The diaphragm seal inside the NVLD/ESIM is a well-documented high-failure item — it stiffens, sticks, or loses its seal with age, so the PCM can no longer verify integrity and falsely reports a leak. The result is a check-engine light with P0456 (small leak, ~0.020 in.), P0455 (large leak), or P0457 (interpreted as loose/missing cap), even when the fuel system is actually sealed. Because the code wording points at the gas cap, this is very commonly misdiagnosed: owners and shops replace the cap (and often the purge valve and canister) repeatedly before discovering the NVLD/ESIM itself is the culprit. One 2012 300 SRT owner reported eight dealer visits — the ESIM and its seal replaced twice, plus a new filler neck, purge valve, and charcoal canister — before the leak code was resolved. The fault is an emissions/MIL issue only: it does not affect drivability or engine longevity, but it will fail an emissions/smog inspection and on some model years can disable remote start until cleared. A faint fuel-vapor smell is occasionally reported when an actual leak is present.