NHTSA Complaint #10466329 — 2005 CHRYSLER 300C

SUDDENLY COULDN'T SHIFT OUT OF PARK. CALLED DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD TRY TO WALK ME THROUGH TRYING TO GET THE TRIM AROUND THE GEAR SHIFT APART TO GET TO THE PINK PLASTIC PIECE THAT IS TYPICALLY THE PROBLEM AND RIG IT SO IT COULD BE MOVED OR DEALER SAID I COULD CALL TOW TRUCK AND THEY TYPICALLY KNOW HOW TO GET IT STARTED. I GOT A RIDE HOME, LOOKED ON INTERNET AND SAW MANY POSTINGS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM. WENT BACK TO THE CAR, FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE INTERNET TO GET TO THE PINK PLASTIC PIECE, USED A SCREWDRIVER TO MANEUVER THE SHIFTER CABLE TO GET OUT OF PARK AND DROVE IT HOME. THEN I DISCOVERED THE K39 RECALL NOTICE ON INTERNET. CALLED DEALER NEXT DAY, WAS TOLD THAT MY VIN ISN'T COVERED BY K39 AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT IT BUT WOULD LIKELY COST ABOUT $300. I CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND INDICATED I WANTED REPAIR AT NO COST IF I TOOK TO DEALER JUST LIKE CUSTOMERS COVERED BY RECALL. I WAS TOLD THAT UNLESS RECALL WAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE MY VIN, I'D HAVE TO TAKE TO DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. MANUFACTURER MADE NO GUARANTEE ABOUT COST TO BE DIAGNOSED/REPAIRED OR IF IT WOULD BE REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE FOLLOWING DIAGNOSIS. THE K39 RECALL LETTER INCLUDES STATEMENT ABOUT IMPROVING OWNERSHIP SATISFACTION AND IMPROVEMENTS IN EVERY VEHICLE THEY BUILD. APPARENTLY, SATISFACTION OF OWNERS LIKE ME WHOSE VEHICLES HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN RECALL DOESN'T MATTER AND THEY APPARENTLY AREN'T CONCERNED ABOUT IMPROVING EVERY VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY MISSED MINE. REPAIR TO MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN COMPLETED THANKS TO INTERNET WHERE WE FOUND INFORMATION THAT WE FOLLOWED. WE SAVED TOWING CHARGE & DEALER REPAIR COST ESTIMATED IN EXCESS OF $300. *TR