NHTSA Complaint #10939949 — 2012 CHRYSLER 300

ON 12/22/16, I USED MY CAR FOR WORK AND LATER CHRISTMAS SHOPPING WITH NO PROBLEM. AT 9:00 PM, MY HUSBAND, GRANDDAUGHTER AND I WERE ON THE FREEWAY TRAVELING ABOUT 60-65 MPH WHEN THE BATTERY SAVE MODE LIGHT CAME ON. I SMELLED SMOKE SO MY HUSBAND MERGED OVER TO THE FAR RIGHT, STILL TRAVELING ABOUT 50-55 MPH. THE CAR BEGAN TO SHUT DOWN, FIRST THE RADIO, THEN INSIDE PANEL LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, AIRBAG WARNING LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS UP, AND CAR SLAMMED INTO PARK WHILE MOVING. FELT LIKE WE WERE REAR ENDED. VERY SCARY. LUCKILY, WE WERE ABLE TO COAST DOWNHILL OFF THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, BARELY MAKING IT OFF, WITH THE BACKEND OF THE CAR IN JEOPARDY OF BEING HIT. THE THREE OF US WERE STRANDED THERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL 1:30 AM, IN A NOT SO LIT AREA, UNTIL AAA ARRIVED. NONE OF US KNEW HOW TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL SO IT HAD TO BE FORCED ON AND OFF THE FLAT BED. THE NEXT DAY, I NOTIFIED CHRYSLER AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE ALTERNATOR FOR THIS SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. MY CARE # IS 30764006. HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE IT HAD A 180 AMP ALTERNATOR INSTEAD OF 160 AMP. I WAS TOLD BY [XXX] TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO MOTOR VILLAGE LA FOR AN OFFICIAL DIAGNOSIS AND THAT SHE (CHRYSLER) WOULD TRY TO HELP ME GET IT APPROVED TO BE FIXED UNDER THE RECALL. MOTOR VILLAGE QUOTED ME $1200 TO FIX AND DENIED THE RECALL CLAIM. MY FAMILY AND I ALMOST LOST OUR LIVES THAT EVENING, AND I WASTED TIME WITH CHRYSLER RECALL. I HAD TO GET THE CAR TOWED ELSEWHERE BECAUSE I COULD NOT AFFORD $1200 FOR REPAIR. FURTHERMORE, WHEN I CALLED BACK, I WAS NOT ABLE TO SPEAK WITH [XXX] AND OF COURSE, THE STORY HAD CHANGED. THEY NO LONGER OFFERED HELP, ONLY APOLOGIES. AS A RESULT, I LOST TIME OFF WORK AND WAS WITHOUT A CAR FOR A WEEK. I AM REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR MY $130.00 DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE PAID TO MOTOR VILLAGE. THANK YOU. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR