NHTSA Complaint #10402496 — 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE

ON MAY 22, 2011, I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE ONTO A MAIN ROAD HERE IN FLORIDA AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THERE WAS A HUGE THUD, MY CAR CRASHED TO THE GROUND, AND IT JOLTED FORWARD AFTER FORCING A STOP. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND THE BODY OF MY FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HAD FALLEN ON TOP OF MY TIRE. THE POLICE ARRIVED AND SAID THAT IT WAS MY CONTROL ARM. I SPENT OVER $150 GETTING IT TOWED NUMEROUS PLACES AND I WAS FINALLY TOLD THAT IT WAS MY FRONT CONTROL ARM AND LOWER BALL JOINT. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS GOING TO BE $1500 TO REPAIR BECAUSE MY DRIVERS SIDE CONTROL ARM AND LOWER BALL JOINT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO DO THE SAME THING. I WENT TO THE VEHICLE CENTER SECTION ON MY CAR INSURANCE WEBSITE AND TO MY SURPRISE THERE ARE THREE VEHICLE RECALLS FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL. I DID NOT THINK THAT I WAS GOING TO FIND ANYTHING, BUT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE EXACT THING THAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY SAID THAT MY VIN DOES NOT MATCH FOR ANY RECALLS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE EXACT THING THAT IS BEING RECALLED HAPPENED TO ME, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER. SHOULDN'T MY SAFETY BE NUMBER ONE? THE POLICE AND TOWING COMPANY, AS WELL AS MY PARENTS, SAID THAT I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY THAT I WAS HEADED TO AND THE CONTROL ARM AND BALL JOINT WOULD HAVE BROKEN/FALLEN OFF, I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE. THERE NEEDS TO BE JUSTIFICATION FOR THEM TO DENY MY CLAIM. JUST BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FALL UNDER THEIR RECALL LIST DOESN'T MEAN IT SHOULDN'T. THESE TYPES OF PARTS ARE MADE TO LAST IN ALL OTHER CARS. MY CAR IS NOT THAT OLD, AND THIS DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN OUT OF THE BLUE. I THINK THAT MY CAR SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT FOR THE RECALL, OTHERWISE THE OTHER ONE IS GOING TO DO THE SAME THING, AND NEXT TIME I MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. *TR