NHTSA Complaint #10505752 — 2006 CHRYSLER 300C

I WAS DRIVING ALONG @ 45MPH APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT AND THE 5.7L HEMI ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING GOT STUCK IN THE FAN. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE LEFT BANK CYLINDER HEAD. AFTER REMOVING THE HEAD AND INSPECTING THE VALVE SEATS NO# 1 INTAKE VALVE SEAT WAS MISSING. AFTER TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE VALVE SEATS IT WAS NOTICED THAT SMALL BITS AND PIECES WERE CRUMBLING OFF OF THE OTHER SEATS. FOLLOWING THIS I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND FIND IT TO BE QUITE COMMON WITH THE 5.7 ENGINE. THE MAIN SAFETY PROBLEM HERE IS THAT IF ONE LOSES A VALVE SEAT THEN A VALVE CAN POTENTIALLY BE LOST AND CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THIS COULD BE A VERY BAD THING. THERE ARE TWO PROBLEMS HERE. CHRYSLER IS USING A COMPRESSED MEDAL VALVE SEAT THAT DOES NOT HOLD UP UNDER THE STRESS OF THE ENGINE AS IT AGES AND THE SECOND IS THAT THE VALVE SEAT IS NOT SUNK DEEP ENOUGH INTO THE HEAD I.E. THE HEAD DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH GRIPPING SURFACE TO HOLD THE VALVE SEAT IN PLACE. AND YES I AM AN ENGINEER! *TR