NHTSA Complaint #10456257 — 2006 CHRYSLER 300

THE PINK PLASTIC SHIFT INTERLOCK LATCH BROKE. THE PLASTIC BREAKS FROM CONTINUAL FORESEEABLE USE. FAILURE CAUSES THE INABILITY TO MOVE THE SHIFTING MECHANISM OUT OF PARK AND THUS DRIVE THE VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO YOUTUBE.COM [HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=8UAMY_M7TTK], THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR ON 2006 AND 2007 MODELS. I AM NOT CERTAIN, BUT 2008 AND NEWER MODELS HAVE A PART THAT IS GREEN AND DOES NOT SEEM AS LIKELY TO BREAK. FURTHERMORE, MILEAGE OR AGE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A FACTOR. MINE BROKE BEFORE 75,000 MILES AND SLIGHTLY AFTER 6 YEARS. DORMAN MAKES AN METAL ALUMINUM REPLACEMENT PART RANGING FROM $22 TO $40 DEPENDING ON THE RETAILER. ONLINE IS LESS EXPENSIVE. THE FACT THAT THERE IS A METAL, DURABLE REPLACEMENT PART IS EVIDENCE THAT THIS IS AN INCREASING PROBLEM. MOREOVER, IT IS BELIEVED THAT CHRYSLER KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS FAILED TO RECALL ITS VEHICLES. FURTHERMORE, AFTER CALLING CHRYSLER 800 CUSTOMER SERVICE # (REFERENCE #22152872), I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY SPECIFIC CAR, THAT CHRYSLER WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER COVERING THE COST UNLESS I FIRST WENT TO A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AT WHICH A CERTIFIED CHRYSLER MECHANIC WOULD HAVE TO CONFIRM THAT THE PINK PLASTIC SHIFT INTERLOCK LATCH WAS THE ISSUE. DIAGNOSTIC ALONE COSTS $150, BUT MAY BE APPLIED TO REPAIRS. I THEN CALLED THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN TUSTIN, CA AND A SERVICING MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT HAD YET TO SEE CHRYSLER COVER THE ESTIMATED $500 COST EVEN THOUGH THE REPLACEMENT PART IS $22 TO $40. THIS IS A PRODUCTS LIABILITY CASE: CHRYSLER IS (1) A COMMERCIAL SUPPLIER OF A (2) DEFECTIVE DESIGNED PRODUCT UNDER THE CONSUMER EXPECTATION, RISK-UTILITY, AND THE FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVE TESTS AND IS THE (3) ACTUAL AND (4) PROXIMATE CAUSE OF THE DEFECT WHICH CAUSES PROPERTY DAMAGES. THERE ARE NO APPLICABLE DEFENSES. THIS ALSO A POTENTIAL CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. *TR