Buyer Research

2017 Chrysler 200 — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $7,500–$12,000. There are 2 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 7 Chrysler 200 years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

The last 200 — Chrysler stopped building the car partway through, so far fewer were sold and only 43 complaints exist. That thin record is a measure of how many are on the road, not a reliability rating, and the complaints that are there tell the same story as the louder 2016: half of them are the car stalling mid-drive and flashing 'Shift to P', with owners reporting several trips to a dealer that never found a cause. Fewer owners, same car underneath. Drive it long enough to get it hot and slow it through several turns, get the nine-speed through every gear, and buy on price and paperwork rather than on the quiet file.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 43 owner complaints for the 2017 Chrysler 200, and 1 recall campaign.

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. 49% of them are about one thing — the engine. 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.

One recall campaign covers 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 2017 Chrysler 200

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

Stalls mid-drive with a 'Shift to P' message, then refuses to restart for minutesHigh — wallet impact

Half of the complaints on this year describe the same event: the car cuts out while moving — often decelerating, turning, or going over a bump — the dash tells the driver to shift to park, and it will not fire again for anywhere from a minute to ten. One owner reports the steering locking once it stopped. Shops frequently find no stored fault, which is why sellers can honestly say it has been 'checked'. Drive it for at least half an hour including slow turns and a stop-start stretch; ask directly whether it has ever shut off on them.

Repair cost (estimate): $200–$2,500 depending on whether it is a sensor, the shifter assembly, or a wiring repair — about 26% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (21).

Needs jump-starting, dash and headlights cutting out, airbag light that comes backMedium

The electrical complaints split three ways: a car that repeatedly goes flat and needs a jump, the instrument cluster and headlights going dark while driving, and an airbag warning light that one owner was told needs a jumper harness installed in the front seats under a service bulletin. Ask the seller how old the battery is, have the charging system and parasitic draw tested, and switch the headlights on and off a few times while the engine runs.

Repair cost (estimate): $150–$1,200

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (13).

Nine-speed automatic: daily hard shifts, a 'service transmission shifter' warning, and loose mountsHigh — wallet impact

Owners on this year report the gearbox jumping or slamming into gear once or twice a day, the shifter warning illuminating at low speed, slipping at highway speed, and in two cases engine and transmission mounts separating. A software update at the dealer fixes a surprising share of shift-quality complaints; worn mounts make every shift feel like a fault when it is not. Put it through first to sixth on a back road rather than judging it on the highway, and have a mechanic shake the mounts.

Repair cost (estimate): $0–$300 for the software update; $3,500–$5,500 for a replacement nine-speed — around 56% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (10).

Cruise control may hold speed or accelerate after you cancel it (recall)Medium

Recall 18V332 is the one campaign on this car. In a specific fault condition the cruise control can ignore the driver's attempt to switch it off, which is an obvious way to end up in a crash. The remedy is a free software flash of the engine or powertrain control module at any dealer. Run the VIN through NHTSA's free lookup before you hand money over; if it is open, make the seller get it done first.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under throttle and cruise control (6); 1 NHTSA recall campaign on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Any moment during the drive where the engine cuts out or the dash says to shift to park
✗Dash warning for the transmission shifter, or a gear that engages with a bang
✗Jumper cables or a battery pack in the trunk
✗Engine rocking heavily when you blip the throttle in gear — worn mounts
✗A seller who says the stalling 'was looked at' but has no invoice showing what was replaced

Good Signs

✓Recall 18V332 shown closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup
✓Transmission control software updated at a dealer, with the invoice
✓A 30-minute drive with the engine hot, several slow turns, and steady idle throughout
✓Battery replaced within the last three years, dated on the case
✓Service history at a Chrysler dealer with the stalling complaint documented and resolved