Buying guide 300M ?

Jim, Your biggest concern would be the 2.7L engine. The 2.7L engine has a reputation for sludging up to a point of self destruction around 100 to

130 km. If a given car has mostly highway driving (versus short trip and stop-and-go driving) and regular maintenance (i.e. 5 km oil and oil filter changes), then it would probably be OK. I myself have 210 km on my Concorde with 2.7L engine, and it runs great. I bought it used with 93 km on the ticker.

There are corrective and preventative measures for a sludge-laden engine as long as damage has not started. To improve your chances with that, I would get one with as few km's on it as you can afford. If a given car has synthetic oil in it from early on, that is a big plus.

Other than the concern for the engine, the windows are a weak point (early failures with window motors and the clips that hold the door glass to the widnow lift break) - however, it could well be that any such problems on a '98 or '99 would have already occurred and been fixed with later, more robust parts by now.

You will find a few other nuisance problems, but probably no more or no less than other makes and models of cars.

There are two forums that you might check out: (1)

North American market 300M does not come with the 2.7L engine, but I find it a very useful forum even for my Concorde with 2.7L engine (other than the engine, 300M is mechanically and electrically 90+% the same as Interpid and Concorde). (2) That would be a good forum since some U.S. Intrepids have the 2.7L engine. Just don't let the extreme negativity by some people there about the 2.7L scare you. I also hang out on the Intrepid forums.

You'll find either place very helpful. Both are dominated by Yanks and Canadians, but there are also some good people from Europe, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Australia, etc.

Both forums have very good search features, and you will find several threads answering your exact question (i.e., "I am getting ready to buy X year of Y car. What things should I look for and what problems should I expect?").

HTH!!!

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my adddress with the letter 'x')

The window motors have been updated and they still use those lift plates that break. Did you replace the plates or the complete glass when yours broke?

Everything imaginable were replaced on my 4 windows including weatherstripping and they still tend to stick.

I think there were production or design flaws in the early clips, which they have since resolved. After people have properly replaced the clips, they do not seem to have any problems. I replaced just the clips. That was three years ago. I haven't heard of any of the replacement ones breaking.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my adddress with the letter 'x')

Thanks, sludging up was also a problem with the 3.5 V6 in the Vision. I know a Mopar mechanic who has redone several of these enggines. They tend to fail somewhere about 150.000 km.

I am looking at 3 different used 2.7 models and one 3.5, they all have done about 120.000 km.

I should be driving one of them tomorrow but we are having a serious snow situation in Denmark right now so I'm not sure I will drive 150 km on snowy, windy roads.

JimR

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I don't believe any sludging of the 3.5 has ever been mentioned on this newsgroup. 3.5 is extremely reliable engine.

Nope, the 3.5 never had a chronic sludging problem. Nor does the 3.2, which is a close relative of the 3.5 and was used for a few years- that's why its a popular swap-in for failed 2.7s. The 2.7 was a different design and is the only one that had the sludging problem.

I'm not saying "no 3.5s EVER fail," but the fact is that they generally don't. About the only thing that chronically happens to them is a lower intake manifold gasket leak, and that isn't fatal. My own 3.5 has over

220,000 miles on it now, and has never had anything but routine maintenance and a set of lower intake gaskets at 190,000 miles. While I was replacing the lower intake gaskets, I pulled the valve covers off to replace the valve cover gaskets as well, and took a look in the overhead. Not only was there no sludge (and I mean not a single FLECK...) the cams, rockers, pedestals, valve stems, and valve springs looked brand new. Not just clean, NEW. I've never seen such a clean engine at that kind of mileage.

There are a couple of consumer complaints on the NHTSA web site about the dash cover cracking and tearing around the passenger airbag over time.

There have been some thoughts brought out in discussion groups about the need to do a backflush on the cooling system with a 3.5 to prevent casting schrapnel from plugging small internal water passages.

There are complaints about brakes and steering racks and tie rod ends.

There are paint quality issues, some I remember were it was real easy to mess up the bumper covers in a hurry.

Two recalls I were seat back bolts and some sort of anti head banger cover for the A pillar.

Windows stick, motors jam, door seals shrink.

Factory Goodyear tires suck. Most people should be thru them by now.

Wind noise concerns, windshield reflections, premature wear of leather seating surfaces, gear shift, and steering wheel.

Some notes on shiny chrome like finish peekling off of levers and handles.

Improper removal / install of door panels results in cracked plastic

Easy to blow out the speakers.

I don't like the battery location.

I own a 2000 3ooM with 15,000 miles on the odometer. Only problems I have had is a white haze that needs to be regularly cleaned from the dash.

Still have the original Goodyear tires with plenty of tread and I will replace them with something else as soon as needed.

The paint job could have been better. Some microscopic zits in the paint.

Otherwise the car is fine day purchased new April 2000.

Maybe if the 1988 New Yorker 3.0 rusts out I will get the 300M out of the garage more often

Steve N2UBP

Good reply Steve... you have a good memory! I have a 1999 300M with

I agree that's a good list. my only comment is about the cracking door panels (the three holes along the bottom crack) - I think it's just plain inadequate design - not due to improper removal/installation (there are special washers available thru the dealer to cover the holes and keep them from breaking further - DC put out a TSB on that.

Oh - and Steve forgot to mention the headlight bulbs are a PITA to replace; angle bulbs won't fit without modifications, selection of straight-based bulbs is very limited; headlight assys. need to be replaced every 3 to 5 years due to hazing.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my adddress with the letter 'x')

I concur on the poor door panel design. After the dealer replace my 4 cracked door panels I started looking at other cars on the showroom floor and how poorly the door panels had been installed at the factory.

I took a 500 km trip to try the 2.7l car today.

Even though it has 208 HP or something it seems quite slow running at normal rpm's. It needs higher rpm's to deliver the power suitable for the car.

The car was not great, it had scratches all around, brakes that needed replacement and a power steering leak. Also it had some oil 'sweat' from both engine and gearbox.

JimR

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