Last Updated: October 2021
Owners of 2016 and 2017 Chrysler 200 have been calling us about various recurring problems with their vehicles such as transmission problems, sudden lunges, and axle vibrations at low speeds, to name a few.
Most of the complaints have been about the 2015 Chrysler 200, however, we’re seeing much of the same problems with model years 2016 and 2017. The worst complaints have been in regards to the transmission and engine systems:
- Engine dies while driving; or
- Engine stalls or shuts off while driving
The problems with the ZF-designed 9-speed transmission in the Chrysler 200 were initially blamed on the driver and his/her driving habits. Vehicle owners were told that “the vehicle has to learn how you drive.”
Regardless of make and model, no vehicle has come off of the assembly line absolutely free of defects. These defects can range anywhere from the very minor and easily resolved problems to defects that warrant the car being classified as a “lemon.” Not all bad cars qualify as lemons, so it is important to know how and when California’s Lemon Law applies to your particular vehicle and situation.
In order for us to obtain a full lemon law repurchase for you pursuant to the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, California’s Lemon Law, we have to prove 3 things:
- Your vehicle was taken to a factory authorized dealership for a specific defect four or more times (for the EXACT SAME problem); and
- The defect cannot be repaired after four or more repair visits under the original factory warranty; and
- The defect substantially impairs your use, value, or safety. The substantial impairment requirement means that your vehicle’s defect needs to be serious enough that it severely impacted your use, value, or safety. If you are putting more than 20,000 miles on your vehicle per year, this makes it extremely difficult to prove that your use, value, or safety have been substantially impaired.
The best way to know for sure whether or not your car is a lemon is to give us a call to discuss your situation.
In regards to the Chrysler 200, the one thing we know for sure is that there will not be any problems with the 2018 model. Model year 2017 marked the end of production for the Chrysler 200; it road off into the sunset.