NHTSA Complaint #10543613 — 2010 CHRYSLER 300

MY CAR WOULDN'T START BY PUSHING START BUTTON. I CALLED A LOCAL (LAREDO) CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT WAS PROBABLY THE KEY JUST NEEDED TO BE PROGRAMMED, SINCE MESSAGE SHOWED KEY DAMAGED. I TOOK THE BUTTON OFF AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE CAR WITH KEY. AFTER, $160.00 THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO ME WITHOUT REPLACING THE START BUTTON BACK ON-- WHICH WAS IN CUP HOLDER. I REPLACED THE START BUTTON AND TO MY DISAPPOINTED, CAR STILL DIDN'T START. OK, 1ST ?, YOU'D THINK THEY WOULD HAVE TESTED THE VEHICLE, SINCE THAT WAS THE INITIAL COMPLAINT. MESSAGE STILL SHOWS --KEY DAMAGED! SERVICE MGR. CLAIMS THAT I AM ALREADY GETTING OFF EASY BECAUSE HE DIDN'T CHARGE ME LABOR, REALLY WHAT LABOR--IT DOESN'T START. NOW, HE CLAIMS IT'S NOT THE KEY ...IT'S SOMETHING ELSE AND THERE IS NO WAY THEY COULD HAVE KNOWN --NOW I NEED TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $187, PLUS 1/2 FOR LABOR--HE'S CUTTING ME A DEAL ON THE LABOR FEES. NEEDLESS TO SAY I ASKED TO SPEAK TO HIS SUPERVISOR AND HE IS IT, WOULDN'T ALLOW ME NOR WOULD TELL ME HIS SUPERVISOR WAS. HE SAID HE WAS THE ONE WHO MADE THE DECISIONS AND IT'S FINAL. SO, I'M OUT $160, STILL DIDN'T GET MY CAR FIXED. UPON RESEARCHING I SAW SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE (WIN) SYSTEM FOR THESE VEHICLES. IS IT A RECALL AND IS THE DEALERSHIP REQUIRED TO FIX IT? ALSO, HOW CAN WE AS CONSUMERS BE BETTER EDUCATED PER SAY TO BE AWARE OF WHAT THESE DEALERSHIPS SHOULD BE REPAIRING/REPLACING BASED ON RECALLS. I CAN BET THEY ARE NOT VOLUNTEERING RECALL INFORMATION AT THE DEALERSHIP. AND HOW CAN WE BE CERTAIN THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE JOB AND NOT JUST SENDING THE CAR TO SERVICE AND NOT REALLY REPAIRING WHAT THE RECALL IS ADVISING TO FIX. *TR