Headlights Problems of Chrysler 200 - part 2

While driving on an unlit 2 lane road I experienced ( the first of several instances) the most dangerous automobile lighting conditions of my 50 years of driving. Trust me this is scary! the headlights have a shutter system for normal and bright headlight control that is so bad I felt the need to pull off of the road to consider continuing my travel. When the headlights are set to dim it is like driving in a dark tunnel with visibility of only the immediate 20 feet in front of the car with no visibility at all of anything to the side. Nothing can be seen above about 5 feet of the road. When one encounters a turn in the road the driver is unable to see beyond the curve. I beg you to investigate this problem and force Chrysler to replace the shutter system before someone is killed. Please send someone from your organization out to drive one of these automobiles on a dark night on a road with no street lights. I dare them to do it more then once. Thank you.

See all problems of the 2013 Chrysler 200 🔎.

Extremely poor illumination from headlights, especially low-beam! the projector lights have a 'shutter' that covers a portion of the beam to create low-beam. This causes a distinct, visible horizontal black-out line across the illumination and leaves little to no illumination on the roadway especially on rural roads beyond city lighting! when car goes down-grade, this blackout line dips to cover the roadway completely in front of the car causing total darkness momentarily. This and no corner lighting is very dangerous and will eventually at some point cost a life! there also is no side or corner illumination in low-beam nor in high-beam. One mechanic told me the bulb is set too far back in the projection tube blocking the side illumination and it is not adjustable. Dealer has checked this condition and problem is not fixed. It appears to be a design problem (a serious one) and the internet is full of complaints from Chrysler 200 owners about this. Chrysler needs to recall these cars and refit the headlight units with a safe, operational design!.

See all problems of the 2012 Chrysler 200 🔎.

Low beam illumination is very poor on this vehicle and model year. In dark area with little to no street lighting it is very easy to veer off the roadway due to lack of vehicle headlight illumination. My best estimate is that the low beams on this vehicle only illuminate about 2 to 3 car lengths ahead. Illumination off to sides of vehicle is also very poor. I would truly be shocked of no one has been maimed of killed yet as a result of this vehicles very poor lighting.

See all problems of the 2011 Chrysler 200 🔎.

Since new, this vehicle has poor low beam headlights, that seem to be directed downward, making night driving over 50 mph hazardous. At times, I must rely on the headlights of other cars to see the road ahead. After owning this car one year, I can't accept this any longer. The dealer at first said they could not be adjusted, but is now willing to check them at a future appointment. I found adjustments above each headlight, engraved "up and down. " a special tool is needed to perform this adjustment. I feel that Chrysler needs to be made aware of this problem in their vehicles. I have reported it to their customer service as case # [xxx]. I have owned over twenty cars and this is the only one with poor low beams. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that the headlights only illuminated the road partially, as if there was a shade over the light. The contact activated the high beams in order for the full light to illuminate the roadway. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis but the contact was informed that the lights were operating as designed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 1,800 and the current mileage was 4,500.

The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph uphill, the low beam headlights were activated but failed to project adequate lighting beyond one hundred feet. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The drop down lenses for the headlight projectors was adjusted. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 200.

The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. While driving at approximately 20 mph with the headlights engaged, the illumination was extremely dim. The failure distorted the visibility while driving at night. In order to illuminate the road, the contact activated the high beams. The vehicle was taken to the dealer numerous times where the bulbs were replaced, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 300.

This vehicle has "shutter" headlights which make it unsafe to drive this vehicle at night. The seeing distance is very low. When high beams are on, they do not shine down the road but to the trees. Oncoming traffic does not even notice high beams are in use. I have spoken to the dealer and to Chrysler and have been told that is how they are made and nothing can be done. I have read several other complaints / concerns on the same issue, and ram trucks are being recalled due to the same issue.

The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that she had experienced multiple failures involving the fuel, electrical lighting and the power train. The vehicle also stalled due to lack of fuel despite the fuel level gauge indicating that there were 40 miles of travel remaining before needing to refuel. Additionally, the headlights would flicker on and off, the automatic windows and interior lighting would engage sporadically and independently, and the engine rpms would increase abnormally, causing the vehicle to accelerate independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was unable to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issues. The approximate failure mileage was 605.

After minimal rain, the driver's side headlight assembly fogged up and accumulated drops of water inside the sealed unit. Took vehicle to dealer, technician said seal around unit is cracked and needed to be replaced. Dealer charges over $500 dollars for replacement. Nighttime visibility is drastically reduced. Repair is not covered under any warranty. This is an issue Chrysler knows about but has not issued a recall.

It has been increasingly difficult to see at night when driving my Chrysler 200 2012 in low lit areas due to the headlight beams. Less light? aimed low? I have to drive far slower than posted around bends at night. I don't recall this issue when I bought the car brand new. I have had it one year and have just over 10,000 miles. I don't usually have to drive at night other than my well lit neighborhood ,so this could have easily gone unnoticed. Either way, this terrifies me. The other issue I have is a jerk when shifting to reverse or drive. It is a loud clunk and I feel the vibration. I will not drive at night in low light areas until resolved. I also feel the car pulls to the right when driving. I will contact the dealer soon, until then I just don't feel safe driving while on dark roads.

The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while driving at night the headlights illuminated downward and did not provide sufficient illumination. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated there was no repair because the headlight assembly was operating as designed. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 13,000.

I have been researching complaints on my brand-new 2013 Chrysler 200 limited sport; it seems that there is some kind of "shutter" which limits the forward visibility of the low-beams. As a result, any traveling at the posted speed limit, I. E. Above 35 mph, at night, you are struggling to see, and "overdriving" the headlights. Forget about when you are in traffic, with cars approaching, quite literally, you cannot see 40 yards. If a pedestrian darts out, you will not be able to see well enough to react. In my area, there are a great many deer; if I cannot let cars around me, so I am able to use my high beams, I will not be able to see in time. I am very concerned about this issue. Even with the equipped driving lamps on, you still cannot see further. The driving lamps spread to the sides, but not even as far as half of the headlamp distance. The car is wonderful otherwise; but I am truly scared to drive at night with it. I have 20/20 vision with above average night vision, and I still have difficulty; my wife cannot drive my vehicle, and will not at night.

(this is a resubmission of complaint # 10649389 to which I added lighting and corrected the VIN) and the speed that the squealing and squeaking occur are from 15 to 0 mph. 2013 200 limited v6 the brakes squeal from what has been blamed on corrosion, the first in my 20+ cars. The dealer did a resurfacing and added a squeak to the squeals. Now at 37k miles I have to suffer to watch pedestrians turn and look to see what all the noise is when I am coming to a stop at lights. After reading the complaints about headlights I now know why the on-coming cars are always flashing me, the lights are angled up to counter act the issue. On the upside, otherwise would have dumped this heap, the gas mileage is great on the highway only and it is a good riding vehicle for 23k new.

The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that the headlights would not illuminate far enough when driving at night. The lights would not illuminate any farther that 20-25 feet in ahead. The dealer was notified who adjusted the lights and advised the contact that the failure was a design flaw with the lightning and nothing else could be done to correct it. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unknown.

We recently purchased this vehicle and when we drove home on our rural roads we noted the headlights on low beam do not provide proper vision going uphill, illumination literally cuts off a short distance in front of you. This is extremely dangerous and using high beam is not always possible with on coming traffic yet there are still dead spots where you cannot see far enough ahead of you to avoid an animal, child or object in time to react.

The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, he noticed the headlights did not illuminate properly. The contact also stated that he had to utilize the high beam headlights in order to view the roadway when driving at night. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 1,000 and the current mileage was 3,000.

This model has a substantial headlight projection issue. The headlights (low beam) do not project far enough to allow the driver to maintain posted speed limits. In areas where there is no street lighting or when driving in rural or unfamiliar areas this is extremely dangerous and you find you have to slow down to a crawl or use high beams - both an issue when other cars are present. I have had other people drive my car to verify and the first thing they say is that it's dangerous and they would not drive this car at night and they were very uncomfortable with the way the headlights projected to the point they thought the lights were not fully on. Have seen this issue from other owner blog entries.

This is not a one time occurrence. With the low beam headlights on it is like a curtain over the road and is constantly moving. One minute you can see 300' and the next instant you can't see 40' in front of you. This is on a two lane road where their are not lights going up and down hills and curves. Never in my 55 years of driving have I ever seen anything like this. I have had it into dealer and they adjusted the low beams up but, the problem still happens. I have also reported it to Chrysler and they just say they will get back with me. It is very dangerous and will cause a wreck. I don't like driving it at night at all.

Low beam headlights are ineffective, cast a beam only about 100 feet on dark roads with restrictive side vision. The beam is even more ineffective when driving downhill and the light beam is only about 50 feet. The dealer explained that it is a one bulb system with a shutter that covers the bulb half way when changing from high to low beams. Chrysler is offering no resolution to the problem which has existed since its 2011 model. This system causes the operator to continually use high beams to properly illuminate the roadway even at low speeds of 25-35mph on rural roadways. There should be a recall or retrofit of the headlight assembly to a two bulb or two element bulb system.

The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds with the low beam headlights illuminated, the light would only project a few feet and then it appeared that a curtain came down as the visibility became limited. The failure recurred numerous times. The contact entered a residential garage and noticed that the lights projected an irregular shaped line on the garage wall and light only appeared below the line. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis who provided no assistance. The manufacturer was also notified but offered no assistance. The failure and current mileage was 700. Updated 12/21/lj updated 1/9/2013.

The very first time I used my headlights for night driving I was totally amazed at the fact that you have very little field of vision. There is almost a curtain like affect and depending on the road you are traveling there is sometimes as little as 20 feet of vision. It is all but impossible to drive at night safely with this vehicle. If you live on back roads (as I do) it is not safe to drive at night. This car is just days old and I can only drive it during the day. Taking it back to the dealer has not proven to be effective. The comment that I get is that its just the way the car was manufactured and that's how the lights will work. These cars are a hazard and something needs to be done immediately before someone is killed because they can't see when driving at night. I will never buy another Chrysler product and I will tell everyone that will listen about my concerns.

The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while driving various speeds, the low beam headlights were activated and failed to sufficiently illuminate the road at a distance of thirty feet and over. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer three times and they were unable to locate the problem. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage 2,000. Updated 6/10/cn.

The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that the headlights would not illuminate from the side when driving at night. The failure would affect the contact's visibility of the roadway when attempting a turn. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer but the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. The current mileage was 3,000. Updated 01/30/lj updated 1/31/2013.

I feel I am driving my future casket. While driving at night in rural areas with no artificial lighting I have very limited view with headlights on low beam. The design of headlight is causing this I feel. There is a flipper lid that raises and lowers with low beam and high beam. The lid design is cutting the high of beam off and while driving there is a definite black out vertically. So low that one cannot see much higher than the hood of the car. High beam eliminates this problem as the flipper lid is raised out of view. The bulb is so far set back in a tube that any horizontal or side view is diminished greatly. Cannot watch for deer. Going around curves the view is almost none existent. I have slammed on my brakes and slid several times due to this and I am a very cautious slower driver. The road signs are cut off from this blackout line as when you can get within reading distance then the signage disappears and all you are left with is a view of bottom of pole. Great/ so your only option is to drive with high beam all the time and this is against the law. On carcomplaints. Com there are many complaints about the issue concerning safety due to poor headlight design with Chrysler 200 2011. I asked about this issue at the dealer concerning bulletins on this safety issue. They said none. I have literally been stuck with a unsafe new vehicle and getting many adjustments upward that have not had any safe results. I have on more tomorrow. I love all the other features of this car. Please help the other customers by making Chrysler have a safety recall. To replace these headlights immediately. I do no want to have a crash, fire, injury, or fatality. I do.

The contact owns a 2011 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that the low beam headlight reduced significantly while driving approximately 15 mph. The failure only occurred whenever driving down an incline or making a right turn, which distorted the contact's vision. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer numerous times and the headlamps were readjusted each time but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 62.

The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200 touring. The contact stated that whenever driving at various speeds at night the headlights would not illuminate the entire road and distorted the visibility of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer twice for the problem. The headlights were readjusted however, the failure continued. The technician informed the contact that there was a problem with the brightness of the headlights. The manufacturer informed that the defect was a characteristic of the headlight. The approximate failure mileage was 200.

The contact owns a 2011 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that the headlights did not provide sufficient lighting. The contact also stated that unless the high beams were activated, the field of vision was very narrow and only extended about twenty feet. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was advised to purchase brighter headlights. The contact was also informed by an auto parts store that there were no brighter headlights made for that vehicle. The failure mileage was 17,400 and the current mileage was 18,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that whenever the headlights were activated, the low beam headlights would only illuminate 20 feet ahead of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the headlights were working as designed. The current and the failure mileages were 200. Updated 04/10/lj.

The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated hat while driving 30 mph, he noticed that the headlights were not illumined properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the dealer stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The dealer did however adjust the lighting. The manufacturer was contacted stated to the contact that if the dealer diagnosed no failures, then they would not assist. The failure mileage was 100 and the current mileage was 3,300. Updated 08/28/lj.

The contact owns a 2011 Chrysler 200. The contact stated while driving 45 mph at sundown the headlights didn't seem to illuminate correctly. The headlights would only illuminate at a short distance and not far away. The contact had experienced the failure since she purchased the vehicle. The contact does not feel safe driving the vehicle at night. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated they would align the headlights. The failure mileage was 470 and the current mileage was 512.

The contact owns a 2011 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that the headlights would not illuminate properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the technician stated that the head lights were working based on standards. The mechanic also advised that they were unable to alter the design of the headlights. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 4,000 and the current mileage was 16,000.

This not a one-time occurrence. The headlight light has a very narrow height. It is literally like a curtain over the road and is constantly moving up and down with the variations in the road. One moment you can see 500 feet ahead and the next you can't see 50 feet (I am not exaggerating). It's not just that the light is dimmer the higher up you look, it hardly exists at all. This car is not drivable at night under any circumstances. It is very dangerous and will cause a wreck.

The contact owns a 2011 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that the headlights would not illuminate properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the technician stated that the head lights were working based on standards. The mechanic also advised that they were unable to alter the design of the headlights. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 6,000 and the current mileage was 35,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Chrysler 200. While parked the contact noticed that the illumination of the headlights was very limited and would not allow him to see the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics. The technician stated the headlights would be adjusted but the failure continued. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 600. Updated 11/29/11.