Buyer Research

2012 Chrysler 300 — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $6,000–$11,000. There are 4 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 13 Chrysler 300 years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

Half of the 426 complaints on the 2012 300 are one thing: the electrical system, and read closely it is the alternator — 30 of the record's 34 fires sit in that cluster, and two recalls (14V634 and 17V435) exist because the alternator can fail, stall the car mid-drive or short and smoke. Behind that are Takata passenger airbags, a rollaway recall on the new eight-speed's electronic shifter, and a Pentastar engine that in this early year could crack a cylinder head. Nine recalls is a lot of homework. This is still a comfortable, roomy car for the money, but buy it only with every recall shown closed on the VIN, an alternator invoice or a charging-system test in hand, and a cold-start listen for a misfire.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 426 owner complaints for the 2012 Chrysler 300, and 9 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 50% of them are about one thing — electrics and electronics. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

9 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2012 Chrysler 300

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Alternator failure — stall without warning, smoke and fire; two recalls cover itHigh — wallet impact

The biggest cluster on this car by a wide margin: 213 electrical complaints, 30 of them fires. Owners describe the battery light, then everything electrical dying at speed, or smoke and a burnt-plastic smell from the alternator in the driveway. Recall 14V634 replaces the 160-amp alternator on 3.6L cars; 17V435 inspects and replaces alternators on 3.6L and 5.7L cars with electro-hydraulic power steering. Also on this year, 12V197 relocates the ABS/ESC fuse because an overheated power distribution centre could kill both systems. Run all three on the VIN. Then have the charging system load-tested — under 13.5V at idle with the headlights and A/C on is a failing unit.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $500–$1,100 for an alternator outside the recall

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (213); 9 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Takata passenger airbag inflator plus a seat-airbag wiring recallHigh — wallet impact

Three separate Takata campaigns touch the 2012 300 (16V352, 18V021 and 19V018): the passenger frontal inflator can rupture and throw metal on deployment, and Chrysler told owners not to drive until it was replaced. A fourth recall, 13V118, replaces the seat side-airbag wiring harnesses on cars built April to December 2011 because a bad crimp can stop the bag firing. The 83 complaints here are mostly the airbag light coming on at random and chiming — the harness fault showing itself — plus 13 crash reports. Check all four campaigns on the VIN; an airbag light that flickers on a bumpy road is the harness, and a dealer will want $400 and up to chase it if the car is outside the recall.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $400–$1,200 for a harness or sensor outside it

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under airbags (83); 9 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Eight-speed electronic shifter can leave the car out of Park — rollaway recallHigh — wallet impact

2012 was the first year of the ZF eight-speed behind the V6, and with it came the spring-loaded electronic shift lever that returns to centre after every move. Drivers thought they were in Park and were not; recall 16V240 adds software that shifts to Park automatically if a door opens with the engine running. Of 79 power train complaints, 8 involve a crash, and owners describe the car rolling on an incline, refusing to leave Park, and a 'shut the car off to change gear' warning at 10–15 mph. Hemi cars kept the older five-speed and a conventional lever, so this one is V6-specific. Confirm the update, then on the test drive park on a slope, release the brake and watch the car hold.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $150–$600 for a shifter module or TCM reflash outside it

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (79); 9 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Pentastar cylinder head failure (misfire on the left bank) and Hemi lifter tickHigh — wallet impact

The 2011–2013 3.6L Pentastar had a run of left-bank cylinder heads that failed early — a persistent misfire on one cylinder, a rough idle and a check-engine light, usually between 40,000 and 80,000 miles. Chrysler extended cylinder-head coverage on many of these early engines, but for a 2012 that extension has run out, so it is now the buyer's bill. On the 5.7L Hemi the equivalent worry is a collapsed MDS lifter wearing the camshaft — a rhythmic tick at idle that does not fade when warm. The 62 engine complaints here include 8 fires. Start the car stone cold and listen for the first 60 seconds; then have the misfire counters read on a scan tool.

Repair cost (estimate): $2,000–$3,500 for a cylinder head; $3,000–$5,500 for Hemi cam and lifters — around 65% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (62).

Front brake rotors warp early; pulsing pedal and steering-wheel shimmyLow

A heavy sedan on fairly small front rotors: owners report replacing rotors every 20,000 miles or so, and the 33 brake complaints are mostly pulsing, shimmy at highway speed and premature wear. A few describe the pedal going long — worth taking seriously on a car whose ABS fuse was the subject of a recall. Feel for a pulse from 60 mph; budget a set of decent aftermarket rotors and pads if you feel one and treat it as a bargaining point.

Repair cost (estimate): $300–$600 per axle

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the brakes (33).

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Battery or charging warning on the dash, or dimming headlights at idle
✗Burnt-plastic smell under the hood or scorch marks around the alternator
✗Airbag light that comes on or chimes at random during the test drive
✗Car that creeps when you believe the shifter is in Park
✗Rough idle or a single-cylinder misfire on a cold start
✗Rhythmic tick from a Hemi that stays after warm-up

Good Signs

✓All nine recalls shown complete on the NHTSA VIN lookup, especially 14V634, 17V435 and 16V240
✓Alternator replaced under recall or with an invoice, and a charging test at 13.8–14.4V with load
✓Cylinder head replaced under Chrysler's extended coverage, with the dealer paperwork
✓Smooth, quiet cold start with steady idle for the first minute
✓Recent rotors and pads with the receipt, and a steady pedal braking from 60 mph