Problems · NHTSA complaints

2008 Chrysler 3 Series problems

Owners filed 758 complaints about the 2008 Chrysler 3 Series with NHTSA between Dec 2007 and Dec 2025. The most-cited component is electrical system (523).

Complaints
758
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
27
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
27
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system523
  2. Air bags193
  3. Engine60
  4. Power train31
  5. Engine and engine cooling26
  6. Steering21
  7. Service brakes16
  8. Fuel/propulsion system14
  9. Suspension13
  10. Vehicle speed control13
  11. Electronic stability control (esc)7
  12. Tires7
  13. Service brakes, hydraulic7
  14. Visibility/wiper6

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20071
20087
20099
20108
201117
201213
201319
201462
2015443
201696
201742
201813
20197
20208
20213
20222
20231
20242
20255

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

523 reports9 crashes8 fires1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler 300. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V567000 (Electrical System); however, the repair failed to prevent a failure from occurring. The contact stated that several days after the recall repair was completed, the contact had to adjust the ignition switch to start the vehicle. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 18, 2025Electrical systemODI 11700171

Air bags

193 reports16 crashes1 fire2 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler 300. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V352000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 18, 2024Air bagsODI 11566323

Engine

60 reports2 crashes1 fire
“I informed the dealership of ignition switch recall shortly after purchasing vehicle. The dealership stated " the VIN number shows no recalls". And that was it said there nothing showing up. I KNOW ignition switch is messed up because every time I would turn the car off I could still feel it running. I've had my car a year and now it will not crank due to ignition switch and now fuel air intake is also messing up and has caused cylinder 6 to miss fire. I have been without a vehicle for a month now and I need it fixed. When test driving the car, it would slow down as I was turning into a place of business and almost getting hit by another vehicle.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 8, 2025Unknown or other, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11703857

Power train

31 reports1 related recall
“FOR THE AXLE OR THE WHEEL BEARINGS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT EVERY TIME I TURN THE WHEEL TO A CERTAIN ANGLE IT POPS ALSO HAS HARD VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING THE BUTTONS HAVE FALLEN OFF THE SEATS THE STEERING PULLS TO THE RIGHT HAS RUST BY THE GAS TANK 0102 SINCE BANKS SENSORS HAVE ONE OUT AND HAS STOPPED STARTING OCCASIONALLY HAVE REPLACED KEY FOB BUT IT OCCASIONALLY STILL HAPPENS AND THE FLOW SENSOR ALERT IS COMING ON FOR THE CODE AIRBAG RECALL NEEDS DONE THE WHEELS PRESSURE SENSOR GAUGE NEVER TURNS OFF FOR THE ALERT I'VE HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED THREE TIMES BECAUSE I'M NON-START AND ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON ALSO DANGEROUSLY THE HEAT SHIELD HAD COME APART ON MY CAR JUST RECENTLY 2020 SUPER DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 4, 2020Suspension, Power train, Electrical systemODI 11373074

Engine and engine cooling

26 reports
“MY RADIO HAS A HOLE IN IT. THERE WAS A POP NOISE AND THEN EVERYTHING LEAKED OUT THE CAR WAS ONLY JUST STARTED, NOT OVER HEATING I STOPPED TO TALK TO A NEIGHBOR WHEN WE HEARD THE POP NOISE AND A PIECE OF PLASTIC WAS STICKING OUT OF THE FAN AREA I LATER LEARNED IT WAS FROM MY FAN ASSEMBLY. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN TO A CAR WITH LESS THEN 56,000. MILES THAT GOES TO DEALERS FOR SERVICE, THIS CAR IS A LEMON. THEY HAD TO REBUILD TRANSMISSION AT 27,000. MILES, BRAKES AND ROTORS LAST YEAR FOUR NEW TIRES, AND THAT DEALER SAID I WAS GOING TO NEED FRONT END WORK, I HAVE BEEN TO THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS AND DON'T FEEL I CAN TRUST ANY OF THEM . THEY SEEM TO FIND THINGS TO DO EVEN IF NOT NEEDED . I DON'T THINK MY TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING WHEN THEY SAID IT WAS EITHER I WOULD HAVE SEEN IT ON THE GROUND AS IT SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY BUT I DO THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LEAKING WHEN I LEFT THERE,AS THERE NOT GOING TO CHANCE ME BRINGING IT SOMEWHERE ELSE . THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND I SHOULD GET A FULL REFUND. WITH ALL RECALLS NEEDED NEW TIRES AND ROTORS BRAKES ETC, LAST YEAR AND THEY SAID SOMETHING ABOUT FRONT END WORK WILL BE NEEDED . SERVICE DEPTS, ARE NOT TRUST WORTHY WHEN I TOOK IT FOR AN…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 10, 2016Engine and engine cooling, Power train, TiresODI 10894686

Steering

21 reports
“THIS IS THE 4TH TIME THAT MY CAR HAS DONE THIS ,WHILE I'M DRIVING THE CAR I JUST LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR, I CAN'T STOP EVEN WHEN I HIT THE BREAKS THE CAR WANT STOP THE CAR TAKES OFF WHILE I'M BEHIND THE WHEEL ,THE SPEED EVEN GOES UP I HAVE TO ,SHUT THE CAR OFF IMMEDIATELY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH THAT STARTS THE CAR,I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN TWO BAD CAR ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE ,I HAVE TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL SHOP I WAS TOLD ITS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BECAUSE THE CAR IS RUNNING BY COMPUTER ,IT IS VERY SCARY I HAVE HAD MY KIDS IN THE CAR EACH TIME THIS HAS HAPPEN ,”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 24, 2015Steering, Electrical system, Vehicle speed controlODI 10806585
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.