NHTSA Complaint #10640687 — 2012 DODGE CHARGER

I PULLED INTO AN INTERSECTION AND THE ELECTRICAL ON THE VEHICLE STARTED FLASHING OFF AND ON. DASHBOARD, WIPERS, RADIO, TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE STUTTERING AND STALLING. I MADE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, AND ABOUT 20 FEET FROM IT BEFORE THE CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. THERE WAS MINIMAL POWER, SO THE HAZARDS WORKED, BUT THE KEY FOB WAS NOT DETECTED (I JUST BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY FOR IT LAST WEEK), THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD CONTINUED TO FLICKER EACH TIME I TRIED TO RESTART IT. THE MIDDLE SCREEN CAME UP BLANK OR WHITE, AND IT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE THE BUTTON/START INDICATOR WOULD MOVE FROM THE "RUN" TO THE "OFF" POSITION. THE BATTERY WAS OBVIOUSLY DEAD, BUT WHEN A PASSERBY STOPPED TO HELP ME TRY TO JUMP IT, IT WOULDN'T TAKE A CHARGE. THE ELECTRICAL CAPACITY CONTINUED TO DIMINISH AS I TRIED TO START IT, OR TRY DIFFERENT THINGS TO GET IT TO WORK. THE GREAT SHIFT LOCKED UP SO I COULDN'T PUT IT IN NEUTRAL TO ROLL THE CAR OUT OF THE WAY. SINCE IT WAS 4:30 ON A BUSY, DIVIDED HIGHWAY DURING A TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR, I WAS TERRIFIED SOMEONE WAS GOING TO HIT ME FROM BEHIND. FORTUNATELY OCSO ARRIVED TO HELP DIVERT TRAFFIC, AND HE HELPED ME FIGURE OUT WHERE THE EMERGENCY DISCONNECT WAS FOR THE TRANSMISSION SO WE COULD PUSH IT OFF THE ROAD. AAA CAME BUT IT WOULDN'T STAY CHARGED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME WITH THE TRAVEL CHARGER ON IT. I TRIED TO JUMP IT AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES, WITH NO LUCK, IT WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. SO, $800 LATER, I HAVE A NEW BATTERY, NEW ALTERNATOR, AND FEEL LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T GET STUCK IN THE INTERSECTION, GET REAR-ENDED, OR HADN'T LEFT ON MY TRIP TO NORTH CAROLINA YET. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE, AND THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING OR INDICATION THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAD GONE BAD. I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS EXPERIENCED THIS BASED ON A GOOGLE SEARCH, AND APPRECIATE THAT THE NHTSA IS INVESTIGATING. *TR