NHTSA Complaint #11190161 — 2007 CHRYSLER 300

ENGINE DROPPED A VALVE SEAT ON THE INTAKE VALVE OF THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER CAUSING IT TO BREAK UP INSIDE THE ENGINE CAUSING SCRATCHES INSIDE THE CYLINDER AND NEEDING ENGINE RESURFACING NEW CYLINDER HEAD NEW PISTON NEW RINGS NEW GASKETS IN TOTAL OVER 3000 DOLLARS INTO THE REBUILD AND MANY MAN HOURS TO COMPLETE AFTER READING 300 FORUMS THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM ON THEM THE VALVE SEAT DROPPED ON START UP AFTER A SHORT FIVE MINUTE DRIVE I SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF FOR TWO MINUTES RAN TO SEE A FRIEND OF MINE KNOCKED NO ONE WAS HOME SO I GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND TURNED IT OVER IT CRANKED AND TRIED TO START THEN I HERD THIS NOISE THAT DIDN'T SOUND GOOD SO I IMMEDIATELY SHUT IT DOWN AND HAD IT TOWED AND DIDN'T TRY STARTING IT AGAIN TILL AFTER WORK WAS COMPLETED IT COST OVER 3 GRAND AND WAS A FULL ENGINE TEAR DOWN SOME OF THE COST WAS FOR PARTS THAT SINCE THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED WAS THE IDEAL TIME TO REPLACE LIKE THE MAIN BEARINGS AND OIL PUMP BUT MOST THE COST WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE DEFECT THAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN IF THIS WOULD HAVE DROPPED ON FREEWAY AT FREEWAY SPEEDS THAT WOULD HAVE THREE THAT PISTON THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE MOTOR THE PISTON JUST ON START UP WAS DESTROYED CAUSING THE VEHICLE ENGINE TO SEIZE UP RESTRICTING THE PISTONS MOVEMENT TO RESTRICT IT FROM A FULL REVOLUTION HAD THERE BEEN MORE MOMENTUM OF THE CRANKSHAFT IT WOULD HAVE SNAPPED A ROD MOST LIKELY AND RUPTURED THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE BLOCK CAUSING A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLES COOLING SYSTEM AND MANY OTHERS HAVE AS WELL THIS OVERHEATING PROBLEM DUE TO THE COOLING SYSTEM MAY HAVE CAUSED THE VALVE SEAT TO OVERHEAT AND IN RETURN DROP THE VALVE SEAT BUT I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IN THAT FIVE TO TEN MINUTE DRIVE THIS CAUSED IT TO DROP HOWEVER PREVIOUS DRIVING AND OVER HEATING ISSUES MAY HAVE SET IT UP FOR FUTURE FAILURE