Last Updated: October 2021
Most of the lemon lawsuits on the Chrysler 200, model years 2016-2017, that we have been successfully settling involve the transmission and engine systems for the following defects:
- Engine dies while driving,
- Engine stalls or shuts off while driving,
- Axle vibrations at low speeds, and
- Transmission problems
As of today’s date, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has over 1,300 complaints on file for the 2015 Chrysler 200. Here are a few of the actual complaints reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA between June and August of 2019:
WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WHILE IN THE DRIVE POSITION. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION ERRONEOUSLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND BACK INTO DRIVE, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO MOMENTARILY LOSE POWER. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING, THE PARKING BRAKE ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ABRUPTLY STOP.
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED, JERKED FORWARD, AND STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY.
THE CAR WILL INTERMITTENTLY STALL AND SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR HAS DONE THIS NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE IN MOTION ON BOTH THE HIGHWAY AND CITY STREETS. CHRYSLER AND THE DEALERSHIP HAVE BASICALLY WASHED THEIR HANDS OF CORRECTING THE PROBLEM AT THIS POINT. THEY STATE THE RECALL FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM HAS BEEN COMPLETED. YET THE CAR CONTINUES TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AS THE RECALL THAT WAS DONE TO FIX THE ORIGINAL ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP NOW WANTS TO CHARGE TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX THE PROBLEM.
Have you made repeated trips to your Chrysler dealership for the same transmission system problems and been told “it’s not the transmission, it’s the way you are driving, or it’s the way someone in your household is driving the car before/after you last drove it.” Either way, the typical explanation to the ZF-designed 9-speed transmission problems is that the vehicle has to “learn how you drive.”
According to application engineer, Frieder Mohr, it could be a problem if your significant other drives with a heavy foot while you take a more gentle approach.
If you are the gentler driver in the household, a few lumpy shifts are to be expected each time you get in after the more aggressive driver. If one driver drives rapidly most or all of the time, then it is possible that the low-speed, low-load shifts will not work so well, because the transmission will still be assuming the style of the more aggressive driver.
(SOURCE: The Car Connection)
Pursuant to the California Lemon Law, your 2015 Chrysler 200 is not required to pass a driver education test and/or adapt to the driving habits of everyone who drives your car. If your vehicle has been taken to the Chrysler dealership four or more times and repaired under the original manufacturer’s warranty for the same defect, and that defect substantially impairs your use, value, or safety, you may be entitled to relief under the California lemon law.
Does a Recalled Vehicle Classify as a Lemon?
This year Chrysler has issued a number of recalls on many of their vehicles. A vehicle can be recalled for more than one problem and at various times. Manufacturers voluntarily initiate many of these recalls, while others are told to issue a recall by NHTSA investigations. If a safety defect is discovered, the manufacturer must notify NHTSA, as well as vehicle or equipment owners, dealerships, and distributors. The manufacturer is then required to remedy the problem at no charge to the vehicle owner. If your car has been recalled, you should act quickly because recalls usually involve a safety issue.
Important to note: A defective vehicle that can be classified as a lemon is not the same as a defective vehicle that has been recalled. Likewise, “recall repairs” (repairs initiated by the manufacturer) do NOT count as “repairs” under the Lemon Law.
What to do if you think your Chrysler 200 is a Lemon
1. Gather all of your repair documents.
2. If a dealership refuses to record your complaints, keep your own journal stating the date you brought the vehicle to a Chrysler dealership for a repair, the name of the service advisor who refused to document your complaint, and the mileage at the time you brought the vehicle in.
3. If the dealership tells you that the transmission problems are “normal” for the vehicle, go to a different dealership to try to get your vehicle repaired.
4. Once you have tried to get your Chrysler 200 repaired four times (or more), and you have gathered all of your documents,
call us at 855-595-3666.
We are here to help — AT NO COST TO YOU!
“I thank Debbie for everything. I thank her the world. She was my last choice I found before I was going to quit. She gave me hope and proceeded with her. It was 6 months of hope that resulted a success. I’m beyond grateful I got to find her and got the help I was needing. I recommend her to anyone. She does not mess around she’s straight to the word. Communication is always happening, you’ll be in the loop. Thank you Debbie. You made it happen. Words can’t say much than the actions made.”- J.D., Torrance, CA