NHTSA Complaint #10947561 — 2011 CHRYSLER 200

THE ALTERNATOR EXPERIENCED A RAPID FAILURE: WHILE DRIVING ON I-95 NORTH THROUGH MARYLAND AT HIGHWAY SPEED (~65 MPH), THE ABS AND STEERING CONTROL INDICATOR LIGHTS BEGAN TO BLINK ON AND OFF, JOINED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY THE BRAKE INDICATOR. THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS BEFORE THE VENTS SUDDENLY BEGAN TO BLOW HOT AIR. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND SHUT THE ENGINE. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART AND THE BATTERY DIED--NO HAZARD LIGHTS, OR ANYTHING. I LIFTED THE HOOD TO CHECK AND IT SMELLED LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED FOR SERVICE, THEY SAID IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR. THE CAR IS A 3.6L WITH A 160 AMP ALTERNATOR. THE SAME ALTERNATOR WAS RECALLED FOR THE SAME ISSUE (NHTSA RECALL 14V-634) IN THE REAR-WHEEL DRIVE VERSIONS OF THESE CHRYSLERS. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE ALTERNATOR IN MY CAR IS IDENTICAL TO THE RECALLED ALTERNATOR, DIFFERING ONLY IN THE HOUSING. THERE WERE NEVER ANY INDICATORS THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS GOING BAD--NO DIMMING LIGHTS, NO HISTORY OF REQUIRING JUMP STARTS, ETC. THIS CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND WOULD HAVE PUT US IN A DEAD CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR INTERSTATE IN A RAINSTORM HAD WE NOT PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER IMMEDIATELY. *TR