NHTSA Complaint #10185696 — 2004 DODGE RAM 2500

UPON HAVING THE TRUCK AT DEALER B FOR WARRANTY SERVICING,THE DEALERSHIP INSTALLED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT THE E17 OUT-OF-PARK ALARM, SIMILAR TO RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN 05V462000. THE RECALL WAS FOR A COMPUTER FLASH TO LOOK FOR SEVERAL THINGS TO OCCUR SIMULTANEOUSLY; 1) DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OPENED, TRANSMISSION WAS IN REVERSE, AND FOOT WAS OFF OF BRAKE. WHEN THESE CONDITIONS OCCURRED THE HORN STARTED BLOWING AND THE LIGHTS START FLASHING. THIS WAS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE RECALL, AND I DIDN'T WANT IT ON MY TRUCK. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS I NEEDED TO BACK UP BY HAVING THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OPEN TO USE THE GROUND AS A REFERENCE. THIS TYPICALLY OCCURRED WHEN MIRROR OR WINDOW VIEWS WERE BLOCKED, OR THERE WAS AN OBJECT BEHIND THAT COULD NOT BE SEEN. WHEN TRYING TO BACK UP TO THESE OBJECTS THE HORN STARTED BLOWING AND LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING. THIS RESULTED IN BOTHERING NEIGHBORS, COWORKERS, ETC. IT WAS AN ANNOYANCE AND IT DID NOT RESULT IN A SAFER VEHICLE. CHRYSLER NEEDED TO DEVELOP AN ALTERNATE METHOD FOR ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM, IF THERE WAS TRULY A PROBLEM NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. CHRYSLER INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO REVERSE THE RECALL THAT IT WAS IN PLACE. ALSO, THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE MANDATED TO DO THE RECALL IF I BROUGHT THE TRUCK IN FOR SERVICE, AND THEREFORE CLAIMED THEY HAD NO DUTY TO INFORM ME BEFOREHAND. THIS WAS TANTAMOUNT TO TAMPERING WITH MY VEHICLE WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT. DOES CHRYSLER HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PERFORM THIS RECALL WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT? IF SO, FROM WHERE DO THEY DERIVE THIS AUTHORITY?*AK UPDATED 04/18/07. *JB