hello im new to this forum i previously owned a hyundai 2005 accent gt and had just traded it for a 2005 chrysler 300 which i am soooooooooo excited to have its my dream car really im just glad im only 23 and have my dream car but anyway is there things i should know from the start with this car what should i do to keep it running prime and what can i do to make sure it lasts me ?

just any tips to get me started on my ownership

how are chrysler people when dealing with warranty issues are they fair or unfair and since i bought this car used w/ 30,000 miles should i call chrysler and switch the warranty to my name?

i just want to know as much as possible before i start ridin you know thanks for your time if you read this whole thing and i will be looking forward to being around for a while!!!

 

You car comes with a 3 yr/36k miles warranty which is transferrable to a second owner. However, there is only a certain amount of time in which to do that for a small fee (maybe $150). So if you've had the car more than a month you may be out of luck. The dearler from which you bought it should have told you this, especially if it was a Chrysler or Dodge dealer. Other dealers or used lots... who knows. There are also extended warranties available, but at that mileage they are going to cost some serious coin.

You need to find a reputable dealership (either Chrysler or Dodge) with a good service dept. and service. manager. Not all dealership are stealerships, but good ones can be a challenge to find, and you may have to drive further to get a good one... but it will be worth it.

On a 2005, you should check history on alighment Technical Service Bulletins. Watch for uneven wear on the front tires. Are the tires original to the car? Are they Continentals or Good Years. If GY's then the original tires have probably been replaced. Check and watch for transmission issues related to a leaking O-ring at what normally would be the check fluid level tube (except these cars don't have a dip stick - by design!). You rear bumper may sag away from the upper body metal as evidenced by a larger than should be gap between the bumper and the tail lights. If so that should be fixed under warranty and a TSB.

That's about it for getting you started. There are also other forums for the LX platform and the 300s in particular that are more active than I have found this one to be.

 

Hey thanks for the reply and all the knowledge and by the way the 3/36,000 mile is just for basic warranty for 03-05 there is a 7/70,000 mile on the power train but yea ill be around and ill have to chck that tranny issue out with my dealer i would like them to do a full check of the car while it still is under the basic warranty so yea thanks! o and the tires are bf goodrich dont think thats continental's isint that the brand name not the tire name continental? any way yea im so happy with this car i just gotta get the grill and chrome pack and ill be all set for a while with this thing

o and by the way what type of tranny problems has anyone encountered just want to be forwarned

 

Yes, the 7/70 powertrain warranty was applicable only to the '05 models. So you're good to go there, except that you still have to register the transfer to you as the second owner.

Most transmission issues have resulted from the leaking O-ring thing which frothed up the tranny fluid and caused irratic shifting, etc. The shift points and behavior tend to be rather soft in these cars (after all it's an "old" Mercedes E Class tranny IIRC). So along the way over the last couple years, there have been some updates to the TCM (Trans. Control Module) of the computer system to make shifting more sport-like... you have to check with your dealer to determine whether there are any updates for you particular model.

Just tell them you've noticed some sluggish shifting between 1st and 2nd under hard acceleration, and were wondering if there were some updates for transmission control. TSBs are applied in response to such inquiries or complaints. Otherwise the dealer doesn't HAVE to do it... it's not like a recall situation.

 

Yea i already have noticed some problems

1) when parked on an incline the tranny "bangs" when putting in reverse

2) when idling the ingine "jumps" every now and then and feels like its gonna shut down

3) when traveling over 55 mph i can hear a noise from the front kind of loud actually a rattling sound only when i go above 55 mph though was wondering maybe the front liscense plate mount

if any body has an idea what these could be please let me know and i am getting the warranty transfered on the 20th of may so i should be all set