NHTSA Complaint #10550054 — 2007 CHRYSLER 300

MY STEERING WENT OUT IN MY 2007 CHRYSLER 300. I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON I-5 NEAR EXIT 165A. I WAS IN THE FAST LANE GOING 65 MPH AT 2:45PM WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE AND I COULD NO LONGER STEER THE VEHICLE. I CAME TO A STOP BUT WHILE DOING SO MY RIGHT FRONT WHEEL JACK KNIFED AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO JUST KEEP THE VEHICLE GOING STRAIGHT AS I CAME TO A STOP.I HAD TO LEAVE MY VEHICLE MOSTLY IN THE FAST LANE SINCE I COULD NOT STEER IT AND THERE WAS NO SHOULDER TO PULL OVER ONTO. I HAD TO JUMP OVER ON OPEN SPOT THAT I COULD SEE 40 FEET BELOW ME ON I-5 TO GET TO A QUIETER AREA TO MAKE MY PHONE CALLS FOR EMERGENCY HELP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE WRITER HAD NO TIME SO I DID AND FOUND A BROKEN HEAVY DUTY BALL JOINT THAT CONNECTS TO MY FRONT RIGHT WHEEL. IT HAD SHEERED IN THE MIDDLE AND CAUSED MY STEERING TO GO OUT AND DAMAGED MY ABS BRAKING AND THE BRAKE SHIELD PLATE ALONG WITH SCRAPING THE INSIDE OF MY RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. I THEN CALLED CHRYSLER CORPORATE AT THERE HOTLINE AND WAS ASKING ABOUT A RECALL OR WARRANTY HELP. I WENT TO THE PARTS COUNTER AND TALKED WITH THEM AND THEY SAID THIS HAPPENS REGULARLY AND WE KEEP A SUPPLY OF BALL JOINTS ON HAND BECAUSE OF THIS. I PURCHASED THE BALL JOINT FOR MY VEHICLE. I ASKED HOW MUCH TO INSTALL THE PART AND IF THERE WAS A WARRANTY ON THERE WORK. HE SAID FOR 12 MONTHS THEY WOULD WARRANTY THE PART IF THEY INSTALLED IT. THEY FOUND MORE STEERING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY REPLACED THE LEFT BALL JOINT SINCE THEY SAW IT GOING OUT ALONG WITH THE LEFT AND RIGHT TIE RODS BECAUSE THEY WERE LOOSE ALONG WITH ABS PARTS THAT WERE RUINED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE LOCAL POLICE DRIVE DODGE CHARGERS THAT HAVE THE SAME STEERING AS A CHRYSLER 300 AND THEY ARE REPLACING BALL JOINTS ON THOSE VEHICLES REGULARLY ALONG WITH THE CHRYSLER 300. *TR