NHTSA Complaint #10273058 — 2007 DODGE CALIBER

ON SATURDAY, 5/30/09, WHILE DRIVING DODGE CALIBER 2007 BACK HOME, ALL INSTRUMENT GAUGES NEEDLES SUDDENLY AND ERRATICALLY SWING UP AND DOWN. I STARTED SMELLING A ROTTEN-EGG SULFUR ODOR AND EXPERIENCED MILD THROAT AND LUNG IRRITATION. AS SOON AS I ARRIVED HOME, WITH ENGINE STILL RUNNING, I STARTED INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF GAUGES NEEDLES ERRATIC MOTION AND SOURCE OF SULFUR ODOR. FIRST, I CHECKED THE RECENTLY REPLACED MANUFACTURER ORIGINAL ALTERNATOR, WHICH HAS RECENTLY CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED. PLEASE SEE RECENTLY FILED 5/16/09, NHTSA SAFETY COMPLAINT, ODI #10268931. AFTER I VERIFIED THAT THE NEW ALTERNATOR WAS WORKING CORRECTLY, I STARTED SNIFFING AND TRACING THE SOURCE OF SULFUR ODOR. FIRST, I THOUGHT ODOR WAS COMING FROM COMPUTER MODULE; THEN, I THOUGHT IT WAS COMING FROM FUSE BOX NEXT TO COMPUTER MODULE. AS I SNIFFED CLOSER TO FUSE BOX, UNDER PLASTIC ENGINE AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD, I NOTICED BATTERY SQUIRTING BOILING-STEAMING SULFURIC ACID. I FOUND THE SOURCE OF ROTTEN-EGG SULFUR ODOR. I REMOVED THE AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD TO FULLY EXPOSE THE BATTERY AND TAKE PHOTOS. LUCKILY, I ONLY SUFFERED MILD IRRITATION TO MY THROAT AND LUNGS, BUT I COULD HAVE BEEN FATALLY EXPOSED TO SULFURIC ACID GAS POISONING, OR BATTERY COULD HAVE EXPLODED WITH FATAL OUTCOME. PHOTOS AND BATTERY ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR REVIEW. I DON NOT KNOW IF UNSAFE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER ALTERNATOR CAUSED THIS UNSAFE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF MANUFACTURER ORIGINAL BATTERY OR VICE-VERSA. *TR