NHTSA Complaint #10532481 — 2012 CHRYSLER 300

PURCHASED A PRE-OWNED 2012 300 CHRYSLER LIMITED FROM A DEALERSHIP THAT IS APPROXIMATELY 90 MILES FROM MY RESIDENCE. TOOK DELIVERY AND AS SOON AS I GOT IN GARAGE I HEARD THIS GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AS I PARKED THE CAR. A FEW DAYS LATER I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND PROVIDE A REPAIR. THEY TOLD ME THEY HEARD NOTHING OTHER THAN NORMAL SOUNDS COMING FROM THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MOTOR. I DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE AND HEARD THE NOISE AGAIN AS I MADE A TURN AND THOUGHT THIS IS NOT NORMAL. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER TO CONFIRM THE INITIAL DIAGNOSIS THAT WAS PROVIDED. THE SERVICE ATTENDANT CALLED THE TECHNICIAN AND HE RESTATED THE SAME THING, THAT THIS IS TYPICAL AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE. I CAME HOME WENT TO A CHRYSLER FORUM AND SAW THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME YEARS. THERE HAS TO BE A PROBLEM HERE AS THIS NOISE IS NOT TYPICAL FOR A STEERING MECHANISM WHICH IS A SAFETY CRITICAL ITEM. I AM AMAZED THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO ACTION TAKEN TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE. ARE YOU WAITING FOR A FATALITY? *TR