NHTSA Complaint #10896546 — 2013 RAM 1500

ON JULY 22ND WHEN LEAVING WORK, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND TOOK TWO LEFT HAND TURNS AND A RIGHT HAND TURN ONTO A BUSY ROAD. THE TURN SIGNALS WERE WORKING INTERMITTINGLY THE LAST TIME THEY WERE USED. ONCE THE RIGHT HAND TURN WAS COMPLETED, AND BEGAN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE DRIVERS STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG DEPLOYED. ONCE THE VEHICLE CONTROL WAS REGAINED IT WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHUT OFF. THE AIRBAG LOOKED TO HAVE BURN HOLE IN IT AND THERE WAS THE SMELL SIMILAR TO PLASTIC MELTING. THE KEY WAS TURNED BACK ON AND AT THAT TIME NO TURN SIGNALS WOULD WORK AND THE WIPERS WOULD NOT STOP OPERATING. ALTHOUGH THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND DIVERTED ATTENTION WHEN IT WENT OFF, IT DID NOT FULLY INFLATE EITHER. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED AND THEY RECOMMENDED FILING A COMPLAINT WITH CHRYSLER. SINCE THE DEALER WAS ONLY A COUPLE MILES AWAY, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THEM. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THEY ADVISED THAT THE DEALER IS NOT TO TOUCH IT UNTIL AN INVESTIGATOR CONTACTS THEM, AND THAT I WILL BE PROVIDED AN ALTERNATE SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND IT WAS IN THE HANDS OF A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT THAT I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO CONTACT. AFTER NUMEROUS REQUESTS TO SPEAK WITH A SUPERVISOR AND THE ALTERNATE DEPARTMENT, I WAS FINALLY CONTACTED BY MR. KON OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS ON AUGUST 15TH. HE ADVISED THAT THERE WILL BE NO TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED UNLESS CHRYSLER DETERMINES THAT THEY ARE AT FAULT FOR THIS. HE WAS ALSO UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY TIMELINE AS TO WHEN SOMEONE WOULD BE ABLE LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP IS ALSO TAKING THE APPROACH THAT THEY WILL NOT OFFER A SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION UNTIL IT IS APPROVED BY CHRYSLER. THE R36 RECALL RELATED TO THIS SAME SYMPTOM WAS REPORTEDLY DONE BY THE DEALER IN THE SPRING OF 2016.