2012 Chrysler 300: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
426 NHTSA owner complaints · 9 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
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. Read the full note on the model page. 2012 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 426 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Dodge Charger, Challenger and Chrysler 300: the years to avoid, including 2012 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 426 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 30.43
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Vehicle received passenger airbag inflator recall service at Viva CDJR in El Paso, TX. The dash disassembly disturbed adjacent wiring/BCM connections, and after driving, vibration caused a short/ground fault, creating runaway wipers, A/C failure, transmission limp mode, check engine and power steering lights while in transit. Dealer has kept the car for over two weeks and refuses to scan diagnostic trouble codes or i…
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?
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. That was the first thing the police and ambulance asked and saw. Myself and My fiancee both were taken t…
Recalls: 9 campaigns (7 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 12V197000 | Service Brakes, Air:Antilock:Control Unit/Module | CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 300 AND DODGE CHARGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES MAY LOSE ABS/ESC SYSTEM FUNCTION DUE TO AN OVERHEATED POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER. |
| 13V118000 | Air Bags | Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger vehicles manufactured April 11, 2011, through December 14, 2011. The affected vehicles may have improperly sized terminal crimps on the seat side-airbag wiring harness which may cause the seat side-airbags to malfunction and illuminate… |
| 12V004000 | Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems | CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 DODGE CHARGER SRT8 AND THE CHRYSLER 300 SRT8 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 17, 2011, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NUMBER 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM" (TPMS). AS BUILT, THE TPMS DOES NOT WARN THE DRIVER WHEN A TIRE IS 25… |
| 14V634000 | Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Durango; and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured April 22, 2010, to January 2, 2014, and equipped with a 3.6L engine and a 160 amp alternator. In the affected vehicles, the alternator may suddenly fail. |
| 18V021000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles, and 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana… |
| 17V435000 | Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Durango, and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles have electro-hydraulic power steering (EHPS) and are equipped with a 5.7L or a 3.6L engine and a 160, 180 or 220 amp alternator. |
| 19V018000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, Ram 4500/5500, 2010-2011 Dodge Dakota, 2010-2014 Dodge Challenger, 2010-2015 Dodge Challenger, Chrysler 300, and 2010-2016 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode. |
| 16V352000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) expanded the affected population to include 73,712 2005-2009 RAM 2500 trucks produced at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,950
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System212 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Air Bags83 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Power Train79 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine58 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes33 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Steering28 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
Other Chrysler 300 years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chrysler 300?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (212 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2012 Chrysler 300 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 28/100, computed from 426 NHTSA complaints and 9 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2012 Chrysler 300's most common problem?
212 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2012 Chrysler 300 sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2012 Chrysler 300 cost to run per year?
About $5,948 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $29,740 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2012 Chrysler 300 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 9 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Chrysler 300, 7 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/05/2012. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other fullsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2012 Chrysler 300 really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 426 complaints, 9 recalls on record
- 426 NHTSA complaints on record (30.4/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (8.8/yr)
- 9 recall campaigns, 7 touching safety-critical systems