NHTSA Complaint #10418025 — 2005 CHRYSLER 300

IN REFERENCE TO MY 2005 CHRYSLER 300 - I WENT OUT TO DRIVE MY CAR AND IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. I FOUND OUT IT WAS A SMALL PIN IN THE SHIFTER MECHANISM. AS I RESEARCHED ONLINE, I FOUND THIS PROBLEM TO BE WIDE SPREAD WITH CHRYSLER 300 OWNERS. THE DEALERSHIP KNEW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE MINUTE I DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT IS VERY COMMON AND THEY SEE THIS REGULARLY. THEY ALSO SAID THAT CHRYSLER DOES NOT SELL THAT PARTICULAR PART SEPARATELY AND THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE UNIT. LASTLY, THE DEALERSHIP EVEN QUESTIONED WHY THIS PROBLEM HASN'T BEEN RECALLED. I ALSO CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE TO EXPLAIN MY PROBLEM (AND MOUNTING COST TO TOW MY CAR AND HAVE IT FIXED). BEFORE I GOT THE DESCRIPTION OUT OF MY MOUTH, HE SAID "YOUR CAR WON'T SHIFT OUT OF PARK - RIGHT?" I SAID YES AND HE TOLD ME HE HEARS IT ALL THE TIME. THAT CHRYSLER HAS RECALLED THIS PROBLEM ON A FEW YEARS, BUT NOT MOST OF THEM AND NOT MINE. HE SAID HE DOESN'T KNOW WHY IT HASN'T BEEN RECALLED, BUT HE SUGGESTED I SEND A LETTER TO THEM ALONG WITH MY BILLS. HE DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY'D PAY, BUT IT WAS BETTER THAN NOTHING. HE TOLD ME TO REACH OUT TO YOUR ORGANIZATION AND SEE WHAT YOU ALL SAID. *TR