NHTSA Complaint #10865274 — 2012 DODGE DURANGO

THE ALTERNATOR IN MY DURANGO FAILED SUDDENLY. WE LUCKILY HAD JUST ARRIVED AT MY DAUGHTER'S DAY CAR WHEN THE CAR SHUT OFF ON ITS OWN AND WE NOTICED SMOKE. WHEN WE GOT OUT TO CHECK UNDER THE HOOD, THE ALTERNATOR WAS SMOKING! I HAD TO HAVE THE DURANGO TOWED TO MY DEALERSHIP AS THERE WAS NO POWER TO THE DURANGO AT ALL. THE DEALERSHIP ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, AND COULD NOT START THE CAR USING A JUMPER BOX, OR BY JUMPING IT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE ALTERNATOR HAD COMPLETELY DRAINED THE BATTERY. WE WERE TOLD A FEW DAYS LATER THAT THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE AN ALTERNATOR AS IT WAS BACK ORDERED, AND IT COULD BE UP TO 6 WEEKS OR MORE BEFORE THEY COULD GET ONE. WHEN WE INQUIRED AS TO WHY, WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE ALTERNATOR FOR MANY CHRYSLER AND DODGE VEHICLES AND THAT EVEN THOUGH OUR DURANGO FALLS IN THE SPECIFIC YEARS, IT WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. WHEN THEY FINALLY CALLED TO LET US KNOW THE DURANGO WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP, WE DROVE MAYBE A HALF MILE DOWN THE ROAD AND THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. WE RETURNED IT IMMEDIATELY BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, THEY INFORMED US THAT BECAUSE OF THE ALTERNATOR FAILURE, THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NOW, THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING US THAT THE ECM IS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING PROPERLY BECAUSE OF THE ISSUES WITH THE ALTERNATOR AND THAT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT IT. THEY CONTACTED DODGE TO INFORM THEM OF THE FAULTY ALTERNATOR THAT CAUSED THE ECM FAILURE AND DODGE TOLD THEM, TOO BAD.