2012 Chrysler 200 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 200 years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 638 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Chrysler 200. That ranks 2nd out of 9 200 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (146 complaints, 23%), typically at around 69,000 miles. Complaints mention 29 crashes, 4 fires, 33 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 638owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 29complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Chrysler 200 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 146 | 23% | 69,000 | “heater core” (8%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 140 | 22% | 70,500 | “heater core” (6%) | — |
| Air Bags problems | 136 | 21% | 66,449 | “seat belts” (31%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 103 | 16% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts problems | 71 | 11% | 55,000 | “belts air bags” (37%) | — |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 56 | 9% | 69,538 | “passenger side” (63%) | $2,300 |
| Power Train problems | 54 | 8% | 59,950 | “dodge jeep” (9%) | — |
| Steering | 45 | 7% | 29,875 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 40 | 6% | 43,851 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 36 | 6% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 27 | 4% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 26 | 4% | 59,863 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 26 | 4% | 37,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 19 | 3% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 17 | 3% | 82,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 17 | 3% | 26,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 3% | 28,288 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 14 | 2% | 70,394 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 1% | 125,250 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 1% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 0% | 8,024 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 0% | 32,226 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 0% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | 125,600 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 21,450 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Chrysler 200 recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive; seats:front assembly:head restraint
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012 Jeep Liberty and 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles. A component within the occupant restraint controller (ORC) may fail and prevent the active headrests from deploying in the event of a rear-end crash.
Risk: If the active headrests do not deploy in certain rear-end crashes, the front seat occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ORC as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2017. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is T56.
Air bags; seat belts:pretensioner; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 200, 2010 Chrysler Sebring, 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber and 2010-2014 Jeep Patriot, Compass and Dodge Avenger vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Risk: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S61.
Air bags; electrical system
Problem: Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Sebring and 200 vehicles manufactured June 28, 2011, through December 13, 2012; model year 2011-2013 Dodge Avenger vehicles manufactured June 25, 2011, through January 14, 2013; model year 2011-2012 Dodge Nitro vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through December 15, 2011; and model year 2011-2012 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through August 15, 2012. Electrical over-stress of a resistor in the occupant restraint control module may lead to the non-deployment of the active head restraints during a rear impact collision.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the active head restraints , their non-deployment could increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will flash the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) or replace the occupant restraint control module, as needed, free of charge. The recall began on November 19, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N38.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2012 chrysler vehicles, including 200 and town and country models, dodge vehicles, including charger, durango, grand caravan and journey models and jeep grand cherokee vehicles manufactured from august 31, 2011, through september 13, 2011, that are equipped with 3.6l engines. These engines may experience connecting rod bearing failure due to debris inside the engine block.
Risk: Connecting rod failure may lead to engine seizure which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners and replace the engine free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about november 18, 2011. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment (PE19014) — opened Sep 9, 2019, closed Feb 25, 2026.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My husband sat down in the driver seat of my vehicle thatwas parked in our driveway and wasnt even turned on and the head rest deployed and smacked the back of his head
Replaced all spark plugs and coils , code is saying misfire cylinder 4..replaced intake manifold gasket code states multiple cylinder misfire .My [XXX] was stranded in the middle of a busy road due to loss of power the.engine jeking..cutting out .after $1000 worth of shop work CHRYSLER NEEDS TO…
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that occasionally, while driving at various speeds at night, the headlights intermittently became inoperable. The failure occurred with the high beam and low beam headlights. Additionally, the windshield wipers only operated at high speeds…
The problem seems to be with the electrical system the TIPM is malfunctioning. Wipers will stop midstream or run constantly, any time power is engaged in the car the wipers will begin to work whether the switch is on or off and regardless if the key is even in the ignition or not. Airbag lights are…
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated upon starting the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Other Chrysler 200 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 200 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 200 | 43 | 1 |
| 2016 200 | 344 | 2 |
| 2015 200 | 1,993 | 8 |
| 2014 200 | 192 | 1 |
| 2013 200 | 628 | 5 |
| 2012 | 638 | 4 |
| 2011 200 | 336 | 3 |
| 2010 200 | 13 | 0 |
See all Chrysler 200 problems by year, every Chrysler model, or the Chrysler VIN decoder.
Similar Chrysler models
Embed this 2012 Chrysler 200 badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Chrysler 200?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, air bags problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 146 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Chrysler 200?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Chrysler 200 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 200 model years, the 2012 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.