NHTSA Complaint #10704962 — 2010 DODGE CHALLENGER

2 DAYS PRIOR TO FAILURE I NOTICED A WHINING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE AFTER WHICH THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVEN UNTIL 4/2/15. ON 4/2/15, UPON RETURNING HOME AFTER DRIVING THE CAR, I NOTICED THE WINDOWS WERE VERY SLOW TO ROLL UP. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TRIED A RESTART, WOULD NOT START, APPEARED TO BE A DEAD BATTERY. WHEN WIFE ARRIVED HOME WE JUMP STARTED THE CAR AND PROCEEDED TO THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER. ON THE WAY THE CAR WAS VERY SLUGGISH, ALMOST STALLED SEVERAL TIMES AND VARIOUS DASH LIGHTS CAME ON; BATTERY, ABS, TRACTION CONTROL. THE CAR FINALLY STALLED ABOUT 1/8TH MILE FROM DEALER AND WAS TOWED THE REST OF THE WAY. ON FRIDAY, 4/3, A SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WERE BAD. IT WAS AT THAT TIME I LEARNED ABOUT A RECALL FOR DEFECTIVE ALTERNATOR WAS IN PROGRESS FOR 2011 TO 2014 V-6 EQUIPPED CHRYSLER VEHICLES. MY CAR IS A 2010 WITH A 5.7L V-8, HOWEVER AFTER CHECKING POST ON A CHALLENGER FORUM, I DISCOVERED MY CAR HAD THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE V-6 EQUIPPED VEHICLES PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. I SPOKE WITH A SERVICE TECH WHO SAID HE KNOWS OF OTHER V-8 EQUIPPED CHALLENGERS THAT SUFFERED AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THE RECALL IS EXPANDED. ALSO, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE BATTERY IS NOT COVERED UNDER MY ESP EVEN THOUGH THE ALTERNATOR IS CLEARLY THE CAUSE OF THE BATTERY FAILURE. *TR