NHTSA Complaint #10630057 — 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY

I PURCHASED A USED 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY TOURING EDITION WITH APPX. 30,000 MILES ON IT IN LATE 2011. IN MAY OF 2012, I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHICH ONLY AFFECTED MYSELF AND THE VEHICLE. WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE PASSENGER REAR WHEEL CAME OFF OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE VAN TO SLAM TO THE GROUND AND ME TO PERFORM EMERGENCY MANEUVERS TO STOP. THE WHEEL, HAVING HAD ALL FIVE LUG BOLTS SHEARED OFF, HAD BOUNCED OFF OF THE VEHICLE DOING CONSIDERABLE BODY DAMAGE. THE BRAKES, AXLE, TIRE, ET AL HAD TO BE REPLACED. I CHALKED THIS UP TO COINCIDENCE, PAID MY DEDUCTIBLE, AND HAD OVER $3,000 WORTH OF WORK DONE TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE FROM THE ACCIDENT. THIS PAST SUNDAY, AUGUST 24TH, 2014, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED. I WAS TRAVELING SLOWER THIS TIME, ABOUT 25 MPH, AND WHEN I HEARD THE SAME WHEEL MAKING NOISE I PULLED OFF THE ROAD INTO A STRIP MALL PARKING LOT JUST IN TIME TO HAVE THE WHEEL COME OFF AGAIN, THIS TIME DOING DAMAGE TO THE REAR QUARTER PANEL, THE BUMPER, THE AXLE, BRAKES, TIRE, ET CETERA. IT ALSO FORCED ME TO MAKE ANOTHER EMERGENCY STOP, THIS TIME IN THE LOT, WHERE THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED BY THE HANDLE OF A COMMERCIAL DUMPSTER THAT STOPPED MY SKID. I REACHED OUT TO CHRYSLER BECAUSE I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE EXACT SAME THING TO THE EXACT SAME WHEEL WOULD HAPPEN TWICE, AND I NOW CHALK IT UP TO A PARTS FAILURE ON CHRYSLER'S END. I WAS AT FIRST TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE AND THAT NOTHING WOULD BE DONE ON THEIR END. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I SPOKE WITH THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP WHERE THE VAN WAS TOWED AND WAS TOLD BY THEIR HEAD MECHANIC THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE (FACTORY) ALLOY RIM. I AGAIN CONTACTED CHRYSLER WITH THIS NEW INFORMATION AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CASE WAS BEING MOVED UP TO A "SPECIALIST" AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT 3-5 DAYS BEFORE I HEARD FROM THEM. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE TRANSPORTING MY FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR