NHTSA Complaint #10892115 — 2013 CHRYSLER 300

WHILE DRIVING MY 2013 300S THE LIGHTS ON MY DASH BEGAN TO FLASH. A FEW MINUTES LATER MY RADIO CUT OFF AND WOULD NOT CUT BACK ON. ABOUT A MINUTE LATER I GOT A MESSAGE ON THE DASH THAT SAID "BATTERY SAVER MODE". I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY THE CAR JUST SHUT DOWN. I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR, NO BRAKES, NO STEERING... NOTHING. LUCKILY I WAS NOT IN A POSITION WHERE I NEEDED TO AVOID HITTING OTHER CARS BECAUSE I COULD NOT STEER. I THEN STARTED TO SMELL BURNING RUBBER. AFTER THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AGAIN AND THEN THE WIPERS CAME ON. (THEY WERE NOT TURNED ON.) THE WIPERS SLOWED AND THEN THE CAR WENT TOTALLY DEAD (AGAIN). I GOOGLED "BATTERY SAVER MODE" AND SAW THAT IT WAS MY ALTERNATOR. I THEN SAW THAT CHRYSLER HAD A RECALL OUT FOR THEIR ALTERNATORS SO I CALLED THEIR RECALL CENTER. I WAS TOLD THAT, "YES, THERE WAS A RECALL." AND I HAD THE RIGHT KIND OF CAR AND THE RIGHT ENGINE BUT MY ALTERNATOR WAS 180 AMPS. (THEY ONLY RECALLED THE 160 AMPS.) I READ MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS AND THEIR EXPERIENCE WAS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO MINE. AND I ALSO READ THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE WITH THE 180 AMPS HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE AND WAS ALSO TOLD THE SAME THING AS I WAS TOLD BY CHRYSLER ("AT THIS TIME WE ONLY HAVE A RECALL OUT FOR 160 AMP ALTERNATORS. SAVE YOUR RECEIPT AND IF AND WHEN WE DO A RECALL ON THE 180 AMPS WE WILL REIMBURSE YOU."). REALLY!? MY TOTAL COST WAS $1260 (ALTERNATOR, BATTERY AND A BELT). COME ON CHRYSLER YOU KNOW THAT THESE ALTERNATORS ARE BAD (BOTH 160 AND 180)! I GUESS UNTIL SOMEONE REPORTS A DEATH THEY WON'T RECALL THE 180 AMP. I WOULD TELL ANY BUYER OF THE 300 TO BEWARE. I PERSONALLY WILL NEVER PURCHASE A CHRYSLER AGAIN. (I HAVE OWNED 2.) NO MATTER HOW COOL THEY LOOK.