Radiator problems of the 2006 Chrysler 300

I have read multiple posts that fit exactly the same description to what happened recently with our 2006 Chrysler 300c 5. 7l hemi awd - so I thought I would share our experience. We have always taken very good care of our 300, regular services etc and have kept every single documentation since purchased. Recently, my wife was driving at 70-75 mph on I-95 - engine completely conked out and started steaming. Towed it to the mechanic. Originally the mechanic said it was just a crack/leak in the radiator, which would cost $750. They went ahead and fixed this problem. However, 2 hours later we get a call saying there was a severe crack in the engine that has caused a major leak internally. Now at the mercy of the mechanic, as we owe them $750 for their misdiagnosis. New diagnosis - need a complete engine replacement that would cost approx $8000-$8500. Absolutely pointless when you take into consideration kbb value is between $9,000-$10,000. After doing my research it seems a new 300 engine would be between $4,000-$5,500 and labor is approx $1,800-$2,500. So I guess it isn't a bad deal for mechanics who can possibly fix it themselves. However, as usual the loyal customers always seem to get screwed by Chrysler. Worst part about it is 4 months ago we purchased a new 300. Maybe this was one of the reasons they revamped the entire engine of the newer Chrysler 300 model range???.

The contact owns a 2006 Chrysler 300. The vehicle was included in a safety recall, but the contact did not receive notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14v817000 (air bags). The contact stated that it was extremely difficult to shift gears and there was a lightning bolt warning lamp that flashed several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the gear shifter, but the vehicle stalled months later. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was an internal failure with the engine and it needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000. Updated 7/7/cn the radiator, thermostat and gear shifter were replaced. Updated 07/14/jb.