Faults:

Worn track rod end (these things happen).

Boot lock wouldn't release. Replaced with second hand part. Cost £30.

Leak in turbo pipe caused car to go into limp mode. Cost £250 to diagnose and repair.

Faulty throttle body valve and glow plug issues caused car to go into limp mode. Cost £600 to diagnose and repair.

Exhaust valve sensor failed. Cost £80 to diagnose and repair.

Starter motor failed. Cost £200 to repair.

Front brake caliper seized. Decided to replace all four calipers, cost £380.

Alarm goes off for no reason. Can't locate the siren so I now lock the car manually and don't use the remote. No one takes any notice when a car alarm sounds anyway.

Battery died. New one cost £180.

When I replaced the battery four warning lights and engine light came up on the dash. Cost £40 to diagnose and clear the faults.

Factory fitted stereo went kaput. Replaced with Sony DIN system. Due to complicated electrics I had it fitted professionally. Cost £590.

General Comments:

I loved the look of the 300c when they first launched it. I decided I was going to have one some day. The day came in January 2018. It's a black SRT Design, tinted windows, Bentley grille, all black interior, and has 20 inch alloys. You have to have at least 20 inch rims on a 300c; anything smaller just looks stupid on such a big car. I wish Chrysler had fitted 22 inch rims as standard. I'd have loved a 5.7 or 6.1 litre V8, but petrol in the UK is a ridiculous price. The car's looks demand a V8 rumble from the twin tail pipes, the diesel just doesn't have the right sound but what can you do? Can't have it all.

The car looks great to my eye and turns heads on every drive; kids love the mean gangster looks! I've even had a request to drive a bride to her wedding next May, I said YES!

The car drives smooth and cruises effortlessly. It is extremely comfortable, has acres of leg room. Electric windows all round, electric heated front seats that adjust forwards, backwards as well as up and down, air con, cruise control. It's not a sports car so don't go throwing it around twisty bends, you'll end up in a field... or worse.

The 3.0 litre diesel engine is a Mercedes-Benz unit and the electrics are also from Merc. However, instead of just using the tried and trusted Merc technology, Chrysler decided to tinker with it so it's a Chrysler-Merc mongrel. Therefore, Mercedes-Benz mechanics don't want to touch it. Chrysler will, but charge big bucks. Most independent mechanics shy away, but I've found a couple who are happy to get stuck into it.

It's a big car for UK roads and it can be a tight fit in certain car parks.

My previous car was a 1995 BMW 525i, and I have to say the build quality of the Chrysler is not as good. The exterior is okay, but there's far too much plastic on the inside and the quality of the plastic is cheap. Chrysler have used low quality leather on the seats which cracks easily. You'll see most 300c drivers' seats are split on the side bolster. Mine is okay but I take great care getting by backside in and out. Come on Chrysler... you can do better than this. The boot is enormous and the rear seats fold forwards.

I have had a few problems as listed above... mainly in the first year of purchase, but it had done over 110,000 miles so maybe I should have expected them. Most issues have been electrical, which are very annoying because they require a computer to diagnose the faults. It bugs me having to pay money to find the fault on top of the cost to fix the problem. I reckon the electrical problems are because Chrysler messed about with the Mercedes-Benz wiring harness.

But... when it's running fine, with no issues, no warning lights, no limp mode, when it's clean and shiny and the sun is out... I just love this car.

Faults:

This is my second 300C, and both have had some minor issues with tie-rod ends and sway bar bushings needing to be replaced at 45,000. No other mechanical problems have been experienced with 50,000+ miles now on the car. Keeping up on maintenance is a must.

The front fascia hangs a little low, so you have to watch pulling up to curbs and such. Mine shows some scrape marks underneath. The original Goodyear RSA Eagle tires tires wore quickly, with replacement a must at about 20,000 miles.

Oil recommended is Mobil 1 synthetic, so be prepared to pay more for your oil changes. One related note is that I recommend an oil catch-can. The vacuum line returning from the intake manifold delivers a lot of oil back into the intake. A catch-can eliminates most of that. I get about 6oz. of oil in the catch-can at every oil change that must be discarded.

General Comments:

The 300C SRT8 appealed to me particularly because you just don't see that many of them. There are plenty of Chargers and Challengers out there sporting the SRT8 badge. I consider it a bit more refined in appearance and ride than the others, suitable as a business sedan, but with the ponies that will surprise you as well as anyone riding along. The seats are bolstered nicely for spirited driving, but comfortable enough long drives. The suspension is stiffer than the standard 300C, providing pretty good feedback from the road (sometimes more than you might care for - I wish it had adjustable suspension for sport or luxury ride). The big Brembo brakes are awesome, and make you feel a lot better about driving enthusiastically.

There are a lot of aftermarket products for the SRT8s that are worth considering to bolt-on more power. A must is a good cold-air intake combined with a Diablo Predator handheld tuner. The canned tunes available with it totally change the acceleration and shifting characteristics. I am sure it added some power too. She will bark the tires into 3rd on a good day. Quarter mile times are high 12s to low 13s, and 0-60 is in the 4.5-5 second mark if you can get it to hook up when you hammer it!

Overall, this is a great car and excellent value for the performance minded. Used it's cheap, and then it comes without the gas guzzler tax and depreciation you get on a new one. It's a real sleeper considering its size and the general perception of the Chrysler 300.