1999 CHRYSLER 300M Wheels Problems

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 300M CHRYSLER. EVER SINCE HE BOUGHT THE CAR HE HAD PROBLEMS WITH FLAT TIRES. HAD ABOUT FIFTEEN FLAT TIRES, NOT PUNCTURED BECAUSE THE WHEELS WILL NOT HOLD AIR. HE STATED THIS WAS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER CHROME WHEELS BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM AROUND THE RIM THAT CAUSED CORROSION AND THE TIRE LOSING AIR. HE STATED THIS WAS BASED ON WHAT DON SMITH TOLD HIM. HE STATES THAT DON SMITH TRIED TO GET HIM NEW TIRES A ND TRIED TO HELP HIM SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL .HE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED, AND THE DEALER KEPT PUTTING HIM OFF. THE SERVICE MAN AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HIM IT WAS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM. THE TIRE SERVICEMAN TOLD HIM HE WOULD HAVE THIS PROBLEM FOR AS LONG AS HE OWNED THE CAR. IN JANUARY 05 HE TALKED TO THE...

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE WHEEL PROBLEMS WITH THE WHEELS ON MY 1999 CHRYSLER 300M. THE WHEELS HAVE CORRODED AND AS A RESULT THE TIRES CONTINUALLY GO FLAT. THE VALVE STEMS HAVE BEEN REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES ONLY TO LEAK AROUND THEM AGAIN. YESTERDAY I TOOK MY CAR TO THE TIRE SERVICE CENTER BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING AGAIN. THIS TIME TO MY SURPRISE THERE WAS A HAIRLINE CRACK AMID THE CORROSION NECESSITATING REPLACEMENT OF THE WHEEL. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CHROME WHEELS CORRODE AND ALL SHOULD TO BE REPLACED. FURTHERMORE REPLACEMENT WOULD NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM SINCE THE REPLACEMENTS WOULD ALSO CORRODE. THE PROBLEM IS ONE OF POOR DESIGN AND THE WRONG CHOICE OF MATERIALS. I HAVE THE REPLACED WHEEL. CURRENTLY I HAVE TO AIR MY TIRES AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. THIS HAS LED TO LOWER TIRE MILEAGE AND PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE. *NM

DT: CALLER SAID THE ALLOY WHEELS OXIDIZED AND LOST AIR IN THE TIRES. ALL 4 WHEELS WERE DOING IT. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 3 YEARS. CONSUMER WAS PUTTING AIR IN TIRES, CLEANED THEM, AND BY NIGHT ALL THE TIRES WERE FLAT. DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO.MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. *AK

THE WHEELS ARE CRUMBLING APART. THE METAL ON THE WHEELS ARE DROPPING OFF IN LARGE FLAKES. MANUFACTURER AND DEALER ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

ALL FOUR WHEEL CENTERS (CHROME WHEEL OPTION) HAVE SEPARATED FORM THEIR CLIPS AND FALLEN OFF WITHIN A PERIOD OF ABOUT 4 MONTHS. CHYSLER REPLACED THEM UNDER WARRANTY; HOWEVER THE PARTS APPEAR TO BE OF DEFECTIVE DESIGN. I HAVE WORD THAT SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS OF SIMILAR VEHICLES HAVE RECENTLY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WHILE THE SEPARATION OF THESE WHEEL CENTERS MAY NOT CAUSE HARM TO TH DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS, THEY MAY CAUSE HARM TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. IF THE CENTERS FALL OFF AT HIGH SPEED, THEY WILL BECOME UNGUIDED 3" METAL PROJECTILES TRAVELING AT THE SAME SPEED AS THE CAR.I HAVE CONTACTED CHYSLER, BUT THEY INTEND DO DO NOTHING OTHER THAN REPLACED THE FAILED COMPONENTS WITH IDENTICAL ONES DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD.*AK