NHTSA Complaint #10837332 — 2013 CHRYSLER 300

ALTERNATOR FAILED UBRUPTLY ON 2/19/16 AT APPROX 3PM I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN MY 2013 CHRYSLER 300 BEGAN TO MAKE A NOISE FROM THE FRONT ENGINE AREA AND I NOTICED WHAT TO SEEM LIKE A RUBBER BURNING TYPE ODOR. I KEPT DRIVING AND SUDDENLY MY BATTERY WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND A MESSAGE ON MY CONSOLE INDICATING "BATTERY SAVING MODE". WITHOUT FURTHER WARNING, MY VEHICLE SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND ALMOST COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. MY DAUGHTER AND I EXITED THE VEHICLE WHEN SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THE ALTERNATOR WAS MAKING A CRACKLING AND SIZZLING NOISE AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE ALTERNATOR. I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE CAR ON TO ROLL UP MY WINDOWS AND THERE WAS NO POWER. I THEN CALLED CHRYSLER ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND A TOW TRUCK WAS DISPATCHED. THE TOW GUY INDICATED THAT IT APPEARED IT WAS TOTAL ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND AS A RESULT MY BATTERY WAS ALSO "FRIED". THE TOW GUY HAD TO UNLOCK THE GEARS MANUALLY IN ORDER TO MANUVER THE CAR ONTO THE TOWING BED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ROGERS & ROGERS AUTO ON 2/20/16 IN THE A.M. AT ABOUT 12 NOON THE TECHNICIAN CALLED TO INFORM THAT IN FACT THE ALTERNATOR HAD FAILED RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY AS WELL. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST BUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE RECALL ISSUED IN FEBRUARY 2015. HE SUGGESTED WE CALL CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR INFORMATION OTHERWISE WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL REPAIRS.