2015 Chrysler 200
Counts come from unverified consumer complaints filed with NHTSA and cannot be compared between models — how to read them.
Common problems reported on the 2015 Chrysler 200
| Component group | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 733 | 38.0% |
| Power Train | 669 | 34.7% |
| Engine | 595 | 30.8% |
| Air Bags | 317 | 16.4% |
| Unknown or Other | 267 | 13.8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 156 | 8.1% |
| Service Brakes | 110 | 5.7% |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 108 | 5.6% |
| Steering | 85 | 4.4% |
| Suspension | 55 | 2.8% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 53 | 2.7% |
| Wheels | 32 | 1.7% |
1,930 complaints filed between March 27, 2014 and December 9, 2024.
At what mileage the Chrysler 200 failed
| Component group | Median | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 49,500 | 504 |
| Power Train | 37,000 | 523 |
| Engine | 47,000 | 467 |
| Air Bags | 57,500 | 207 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 40,992 | 121 |
| Service Brakes | 30,000 | 84 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 55,000 | 78 |
| Steering | 35,314 | 78 |
| Suspension | 40,188 | 35 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 65,500 | 36 |
Across all components, half the reported failures happened before 43,986 miles, with the middle half falling between 13,801 and 70,106. Based on the 1,428 complaints (74%) that record a mileage.
A low figure does not mean the car stops working at that mileage. It means the reported failures clustered early, which most often points to a fault built into a production batch — usually the kind of thing a warranty repair or a recall campaign addresses.
How this mix compares with other model years
| Component group | Here | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 30.8% | 16.6% |
| Electrical System | 38.0% | 13.4% |
| Power Train | 34.7% | 10.2% |
| Unknown or Other | 13.8% | 10.2% |
| Service Brakes | 5.7% | 6.4% |
| Steering | 4.4% | 6.2% |
| Air Bags | 16.4% | 5.8% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 2.7% | 4.5% |
This compares the subjects of the complaints, not how many there are. A share needs no denominator, so unlike a count it can honestly be held against a norm — but a group sitting above the typical share means people complained about that part more often relative to everything else on this car, not that the car is worse than another.
How serious the complaints were
- 5.0% Crash reported 96 of 1,930
- 1.2% Fire reported 23 of 1,930
- 2.5% Injury reported 49 of 1,930
- 0.0% Death reported 0 of 1,930
Reported across all complaints on file: 57 injuries and 0 deaths. These shares sit within this model’s own complaints — they say nothing about how it compares to another model.
Recall campaigns
8 campaigns. A recall repair is free at a dealer regardless of how many owners the car has had. Check the car’s own VIN — a campaign listed here may already have been carried out on it.
18V332000 Electrical System: Software · Electrical System: Wiring · Vehicle Speed Control: Cruise Control May 17, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Consequence: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Campaign covered 4,815,661 vehicles across model years 2014, 2015, 2016 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.
16V529000 Power Train: Automatic Transmission July 12, 2016
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee and 2015 Chrysler 200, Jeep Renegade, RAM ProMaster, and 2016 Fiat 500X vehicles equipped with 9-speed automatic transmissions. The transmission sensor clusters may have insufficient crimps in the transmission wire harness, and as a result, the transmission may unexpectedly shift to neutral. On August 29, 2016 Chrysler added the 2016 Fiat 500X vehicles to this recall.
Consequence: If the vehicle unexpectedly shifts to neutral, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module and the Transmission Control Module and if necessary replace the transaxle range sensor wire harness, free of charge. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S55.
Campaign covered 329,540 vehicles across model years 2014, 2015, 2016 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.
16V114000 Air Bags: Sensor: Occupant Classification · Seats February 26, 2016
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chrysler 200 vehicles manufactured April 7, 2014, to August 3, 2015. During service work, the affected vehicles may have had either the Occupant Classification Module (OCM) or the Seat Cushion Foam (SCF) of the front passenger seat replaced instead of the both pieces together, which make up a complete calibrated set.
Consequence: If both pieces were not replaced together, the occupant detection and classification system may not be properly calibrated and the passenger air bag may improperly deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install a new OCM-SCF seat service kit, free of charge. The recall began on May 27, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S09.
Campaign covered 71 vehicles across model year 2015 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.
15V470000 Electrical System July 28, 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chrysler 200 vehicles manufactured January 7, 2014, to September 23, 2014. The affected vehicles may have a Power Distribution Center (PDC) electrical connector that may cause intermittent power failures to certain electrical components.
Consequence: An intermittent loss of power to electrical components could cause a vehicle to stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the C4 connector using a 12 wire split kit for 3.6L engines, or replace the transmission wiring harness for 2.4L engines, free of charge. The recall began on October 21, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R24.
Campaign covered 77,971 vehicles across model year 2015 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.
15V461000 Equipment: Electrical: Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc. July 23, 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500, 2015 Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Challenger, 2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, and Dodge Durango, and 2013-2015 Dodge Viper vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with radios that have software vulnerabilities that can allow third-party access to certain networked vehicle control systems.
Consequence: Exploitation of the software vulnerability may result in unauthorized remote modification and control of certain vehicle systems, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify and mail affected owners a USB drive that includes a software update that eliminates the vulnerability, free of charge. Optionally, owners may download the update to their own USB drive from http://www.driveuconnect.com/software-update/ or take their vehicle to a Chrysler dealer for immediate installation. In an effort to mitigate the effects of this security vulnerability, Chrysler has had the wireless service provider close the open cellular connection to the vehicle that provided unauthorized access to the vehicle network. This measure may not have been implemented on all vehicles and does not address access by other means that will be remedied by the software update. The recall began on August 25, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R40.
Campaign covered 1,416,903 vehicles across model years 2013, 2014, 2015 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.
15V090000 Power Train: Automatic Transmission February 13, 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chrysler 200 vehicles manufactured March 9, 2014, to December 15, 2014, and equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission. The automatic transmission parking pawl may become contaminated or the park rod may become dislodged or broken. This may prevent the transmission from shifting into the Park position.
Consequence: If the shift indicator displays "Park" but the park lock does not engage, the vehicle may roll away increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers inspect the transmission. Any transmission found with contamination or a park rod will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R08.
Campaign covered 21,466 vehicles across model year 2015 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.
14V480000 Electrical System: Wiring August 5, 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chrysler 200 vehicles manufactured May 19, 2014, to June 21, 2014. The affected vehicles may have been built with a driver side door wiring harness of an insufficient wire gauge, resulting in excessive heat which may melt the wiring insulation.
Consequence: Excessive heat and melting wiring insulation may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door wiring harness, free of charge. The recall began on October 3, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P43.
Campaign covered 8 vehicles across model year 2015 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.
14V392000 Suspension: Rear: Shock Absorber July 2, 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2014 Jeep Cherokee and Ram 1500 and 2015 Chrysler 200 vehicles. Due to an insufficient weld, the rear shocks may detach from the vehicle at one end and possibly damage other chassis components, the tire or result in reduced braking.
Consequence: Damage to the tire or reduced braking increases the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear shocks and replace any affected ones, free of charge. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P37.
Campaign covered 20,347 vehicles across model years 2014, 2015 — a count for the whole campaign, not for this model year alone.
NCAP crash-test ratings
| Variant | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Chrysler 200 4 DR FWD | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 2015 Chrysler 200 4 DR AWD | Not Rated | Not Rated | 5 | 4 |
Ratings are out of 5 stars.
Pre-purchase inspection checklist
Written and checked by someone who does this work; it is not derived from the data. The complaint counts decide only the order: the assemblies this model’s owners complain about most come first.
Electrical system
Related complaint groups: Electrical System (733), Exterior Lighting (31)
With the car parked
- With the ignition on, before starting, every warning light should come on and then go out once the engine runs. None coming on at all is worse than one staying lit: the bulb may have been removed or disabled in software.
- Click through everything: windows from every switch, mirrors, heated elements, climate control on all settings, the radio, the camera, the parking sensors, cruise control.
- Every exterior light, including running lights, brake lights, side repeaters and the license plate lamp.
- Battery terminals for corrosion, and the date on the battery.
- Cabin and trunk for signs of water: damp carpet under the mats, condensation in the headlights, rust on the seat mounts. Water in the electrics causes faults that are extremely hard to trace.
On the road
- Whether anything dims when several high-draw consumers are switched on at once.
- A second hot start after the drive.
Red flags
- A dashboard with no warning lights at all when the ignition is on
- Signs of water ingress
- Homemade wiring, twisted joints, tape under the dash
- Several small non-working functions at once — usually one common root cause
Automatic transmission
Related complaint groups: Power Train (669)
Checking the fluid level during an inspection is usually not possible — many cars need a lift, some have no dipstick at all, and Honda’s procedure differs from the rest. So this assessment is built on behavior, not on fluid.
With the car parked
- Move the selector P → R → D and back with the brake held. Each engagement should be a soft nudge, without a thump and without delay. Repeat two or three times in each direction.
On the road
- Shifts without noticeable delay or thump, both under acceleration and when slowing down.
- Pay particular attention to the 1-2-3 and 3-2-1 transitions — they carry the most load.
- Hard acceleration at full throttle: the revs should not flare without the car gaining speed.
- On a CVT the revs should rise smoothly, without steps, droning or jerking.
Questions for the seller
- Has the fluid been changed, and is there proof. Regular changes are a substantial plus for the car; their absence at high mileage is reason for caution.
Red flags
- A stored transmission fault code (a scan tool is worth having)
- Slipping under load in any form
- Recently cleared codes with no explanation
- The seller offering to "just change the fluid" when it is black and burnt — that is cosmetic cover over wear that has already happened
Cost if it needs work: Expensive. The most expensive of the likely assemblies; a repair is often comparable to the value of the car.
Axles and CV joints
Related complaint groups: Power Train (669)
With the car parked
- Turn the steering to full lock and inspect the outer CV boots on both sides for cracks, splits and thrown grease on the inner face of the wheel and in the wheel arch. A split boot on a joint that is still sound is a cheap repair today and an expensive one in six months.
On the road
- Empty parking lot, steering at full lock, slow circles in both directions. A rhythmic clicking points to an outer CV joint; the side is identified by the direction of the turn.
- Vibration under acceleration in a straight line that disappears when you lift off may indicate an inner CV joint.
Cost if it needs work: Relatively low. A good indicator of how the car has been treated overall.
Engine and cooling system
Related complaint groups: Engine (595), Engine and Engine Cooling (3)
Come to a cold car. A warmed-up engine hides a hard start, smoke and knocking. If the car is already warm, that is a yellow flag: ask for 30–40 minutes to let it cool. A refusal to let it cool is a red flag.
With the car parked
- Oil: level, color, consistency. Level above maximum plus a smell of fuel on the dipstick means the oil is being diluted with fuel.
- A whitish film on the oil filler cap alone is usually condensation from short trips in cold weather, not cause for alarm. What matters is the dipstick: a coffee-with-milk emulsion on the dipstick requires serious further inspection. A further indication is coolant hoses that are hard and under excess pressure.
- Coolant: level, color, no oil film. Open the reservoir only on a fully cooled engine.
- Leaks: under the engine, along the sump seam, around the valve cover, along the hoses and the radiator.
On the road and after
- Cold start: how long the starter cranks, smoke in the first seconds, knocking that goes away as it warms up.
- Temperature over the whole drive. Idle with the air conditioning on: the fan should cut in and the needle should not climb.
- After the drive, switch off, wait a couple of minutes and look for fresh drips under the car.
Red flags
- A freshly washed engine bay on a high-mileage car
- Thick white smoke after warm-up
- Temperature climbing in traffic
Airbags and the VIN recall check
Related complaint groups: Air Bags (317), Seat Belts (18)
The most reliable procedure in this library — it does not depend on hearing, experience or inspection conditions.
Required procedure
- Take the VIN from the car itself — the windshield on the driver’s side, the door pillar, the paperwork — not from the listing.
- Check that VIN in NHTSA’s official recall lookup.
- A recall repair at a dealer is free regardless of how many owners the car has had. An open recall is a reason to visit a dealer, not a reason to haggle.
- An open airbag recall is grounds not to buy the car until it has been fixed.
Inspection
- The SRS light should come on with the ignition and then go out. Not coming on at all probably means it has been disabled deliberately.
- Airbag covers on the wheel and dash: uneven gaps, mismatched texture, marks from removal.
- Seat belts: pull each one out to full length and check for chafing, tears and water marks. The inertia reel should lock when pulled sharply.
Suspension, control arms, steering
Related complaint groups: Steering (85), Suspension (55)
With the car parked
- Rock the steering wheel briskly left and right. Knocking and free play point to ball joints, tie rod ends or the rack. This is the most productive check of this assembly without a lift.
- Rock each wheel at 12 and 6 o’clock (ball joint, wheel bearing) and at 3 and 9 o’clock (steering linkage).
- Inspect the bushings for cracks and separation, and the ball joint boots for damage.
On the road
- Dull knocking from the front over small bumps. The cause cannot be determined without a lift: sway bar links are inexpensive, control arms cost several times more, and by ear the two are indistinguishable. A knock is grounds to require an inspection on a lift before purchase — not grounds to walk away from the car.
- Whether it pulls to one side on a level road, and whether the wheel returns to center after a turn.
Red flags
- Uneven tread wear — almost always alignment
- A recent alignment in the paperwork with no explanation of why
- One control arm noticeably newer than the rest
Cost if it needs work: Low to moderate. Depends on what turns out to be the source. Plus an alignment after the replacement.
Brakes
Related complaint groups: Service Brakes (110)
With the car parked
- Brake fluid level and color. Clear yellow is fresh; dark brown has not been changed in a long time.
- Fluid at the lower mark with no leaks usually means worn pads: the pistons have extended and the fluid has moved into the calipers.
- Pad thickness through the spokes of the wheel. Check the disc for a lip at the outer edge and for deep scoring.
- Inside face of the wheels: an even dark dust film is normal; one wheel noticeably dirtier than the others may indicate a sticking caliper.
- Hoses for cracks and bulges, lines for corrosion.
On the road
- First stop at low speed: the pedal should be firm, with no sinking.
- Accelerate to 40–45 mph and brake moderately. Pulsing through the pedal or the steering wheel usually means warped discs.
- Braking on flat dry pavement: pulling to one side requires further inspection.
- The ABS light should come on with the ignition and go out after the engine starts.
- A feeling that the car is driving "as if towing a trailer" may indicate binding brakes.
- The car squatting at the rear when pulling away may indicate parking-brake cables or stuck rear shoes.
After the drive
- Hold your palm near each wheel without touching the disc or the caliper — after braking they will burn you. Compare only left against right on the same axle: the front is always hotter than the rear, and that is normal. A noticeable difference between the two wheels of one axle requires further inspection.
Red flags
- The pedal slowly sinks to the floor when held down
- An illuminated ABS or brake system warning light
- Fresh fluid together with completely worn pads
Cost if it needs work: Moderate. Confirm actual cost against local prices at the time of purchase.
The Chrysler 200 year by year
| Model year | Complaints | Median mileage | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 330 | 42,063 | 3 |
| 2012 | 630 | 59,957 | 4 |
| 2013 | 602 | 57,429 | 5 |
| 2015 (this page) | 1,930 | 43,986 | 8 |
| 2016 | 325 | 40,877 | 2 |
Read the mileage column down this table with care. A newer year has simply been driven less, so its median sits lower for that reason alone — the figure is censored from above by how long the cars have been on the road, not only by how they were built. The same applies to the complaint counts: an older year has had more years in which to collect them.
Where the mileage figure does compare cleanly is between different models of the same year, which have had the same time to accumulate miles.