Chrysler 300: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Chrysler 300: 13 model years scored from 1,676 NHTSA owner complaints and 53 recall campaigns. Worst year 2012, best year 2016.
Chrysler 300: which years to avoid
Across 13 scored model years the Chrysler 300 ranges from 28/100 in 2012 to 91/100 in 2020 — a 63-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a 300 at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Electrical System (212 of them).
Avoid: 2012, 2013, 2014 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Editor's note
The Chrysler 300's years to avoid are 2012, 2013 and 2014, all AVOID at 28, 35 and 38 on 426, 306 and 236 complaints; the 2018 car is a CAUTION at 50. The years to buy are 2015 to 2017 (76, 85, 82) and 2019 to 2023, where scores run from 81 to 91 and the 2020 and 2022 cars have 10 and 5 complaints. Electrical System leads every year from 2011 to 2014 (119, 212, 131, 72), and the campaigns on those years say why in part: the alternator recalls 14V634000, 17V435000 and 17V741000 on 3.6-litre cars, and 12V197000 for an overheated power distribution centre that can cost the 2011 and 2012 car its ABS and stability control. Power Train follows (79, 58, 69), with 16V240000 for the transmission control module. The 2018 dip brings Electrical System back to 68 and carries 18V280000 for an incorrect park lock rod; 24V198000, issued 14/03/2024, recalls 2018 to 2021 cars for side curtain air bag inflators that may rupture.
Read the guide
Used Dodge Charger, Challenger and Chrysler 300: the years to avoid — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
How the 300 changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2012–2014
Mean score 34/100, about 25 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Electrical System more than anything else (415 complaints). 16 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2015–2023
Mean score 82/100, about 7 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Electrical System more than anything else (148 complaints). The record improves by 48 points against the years before it. 13 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2016 (score 85). Worst: 2012 (score 28, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 90 | BUY | $3,498 | 6 | 1 |
| 2022 | 91 | BUY | $3,624 | 5 | 2 |
| 2021 | 90 | BUY | $3,816 | 20 | 2 |
| 2020 | 91 | BUY | $3,912 | 10 | 2 |
| 2019 | 81 | BUY | $4,182 | 60 | 2 |
| 2018 | 50 | CAUTION | $4,521 | 152 | 4 |
| 2017 | 82 | BUY | $4,472 | 82 | 2 |
| 2016 | 85 | BUY | $4,634 | 76 | 3 |
| 2015 | 76 | BUY | $4,797 | 97 | 5 |
| 2014 | 38 | AVOID | $6,444 | 236 | 8 |
| 2013 | 35 | AVOID | $6,407 | 306 | 6 |
| 2012 | 28 | AVOID | $5,878 | 426 | 9 |
| 2011 | 56 | CAUTION | $5,693 | 200 | 7 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the 300, through the years →
300 sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the 300 on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Chrysler 300
Across every 300 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Electrical System682 complaints across all 300 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Power Train269 complaints across all 300 years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Air Bags242 complaints across all 300 years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other187 complaints across all 300 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Engine141 complaints across all 300 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes71 complaints across all 300 years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Chrysler 300 years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2012, 2013, 2014 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2012 is the weakest at 28/100, with its complaints concentrated in Electrical System.
What are the best Chrysler 300 years to buy?
2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2020 at 91/100, on 10 complaints and 2 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Chrysler 300 problem?
682 of the complaints filed against the 300 across all its model years sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04