NHTSA Complaint #10712101 — 2012 DODGE CHARGER

I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY CAR ON NEARLY A DAILY BASIS SINCE I ACQUIRED IT IN OCTOBER 2013. OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST 27K MILES, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY WHEELS ("RIMS") ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS DURING THE SPRING MONTHS AS A RESULT OF HAIRLINE FRACTURES/CRACKS OCCURRING ON THE INNER WALL OF THE WHEEL. THE LOCATION OF THE CRACK TO BE MORE PRECISE IS WHERE THE BEAD OF THE TIRE WOULD BE SEATED DURING MOUNTING. IN EACH INSTANCE, THE WHEEL IN QUESTION WAS MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF THE CAR (ONE DRIVER SIDE AND TWO PASSENGER SIDE) AND DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGN OF DEFORMATION OR BENDING. DODGE HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE CRACKS AND HAS CONSISTENTLY DENIED CLAIMS STATING THAT THEY WERE NOT A RESULT OF WORKMANSHIP OR FROM POOR DESIGN. GIVEN THE STIFFNESS OF THE SUSPENSION AND WEIGHT OF THE MOTOR OVER THE FRONT WHEELS AS WELL AS THE CONSISTENCY OF THE FRACTURE (FRONT OF CAR AND INSIDE OF WHEEL), I DO NOT AGREE WITH THEIR CLAIMS. I HAVE DONE A BRIEF SEARCH OF THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND AN ABUNDANCE OF BLOGS AND SIMILAR DISCUSSION BOARDS WHERE OWNERS OF SRT8 CHARGERS OF MY MODEL YEAR HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. WHILE MY INSTANCES HAVE BEEN SLOW LEAKS FROM CRACKS, OTHER DRIVERS MAY EXPERIENCE BLOWOUTS FROM SUDDEN EXPANSION OF THE CRACK CAUSING STRUCTURAL FAILURE. *TR