Chrysler Repair: 1999 Chrysler 300M: How reliable?, auto reliability, chrysler products

Question
Hi. I have a question about the 1999 Chrysler 300M and how reliable and dependable the 3.5 V-6 motor and transmission is. I am looking at buying a car for my son who is in college and I know nothing about Chrysler products and their reliability.  The vehicle I am looking at has 83,000 miles on it.  The local dealership service rep stated all our products are dependable and reliable.  Yeah right. I would appreciate your opinion.  Thanks.

Answer
Hi Everette,
I have always found the best reference for auto reliability comparisons is the Consumer's Report auto issue which is published in April of each year and also the same date is reprinted in the Annual Buyers Guide. You can find issues of the magazine at your local library. Just look up the frequency of repair article and look at the tables for the '99 300M and you will find what its strong and weak points are. Generally, the main issue I hear about is the electronic transaxle which is sophisticated but also quite costly to rebuild ($1,800-2,000) when they wear out which seldom occurs later than 150,000 miles, sometimes sooner.
That leaves you with a real dilemma when the vehicle is 8-9 years old. Much as I love the marque, I personally would stay away from the electronic transaxle cars. You might find a Dodge that has the non-electronic transmission, which would avoid that problem, or even a manual shift with clutch. But take a look at the Reports and see what they show for that specific model and year. It is based on surveying their vast readership and comparing repair reports. Let me know what you learn and decide, please.
Best of luck to you and your son.
Roland