NHTSA Complaint #10991352 — 2012 CHRYSLER 300

WHILE DRIVING WITH MY CHILDREN, THE CARS WARNING LIGHTS LIT UP AND ALARMS STARTED BEEPING. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS THE FCW OFF MESSAGE, I SMELLED SMOKE AND HEARD A WHIRING SOUND. AFTER PULLING IN MY DRIVEWAY, I POPPED OPEN THE HOOD AND FOUND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. 20 MINUTES LATER I STARTED UP THE CAR AND STARTED DRIVING, AGAIN WITHOUT ANY ISSUE. WHEN COMING BACK HOME (4 MILE ROUND TRIP), I HEARD A WHIRING SOUND AGAIN, SMELLED SMOKE AND LIGHTS AND ALARMS AGAIN. FORTUNATELY, I WAS PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY. AT THIS POINT, I COULD SEE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I POPPED THE HOOD AND SAW SMOKE BILLOWING FROM THE AREA OF THE ALTERNATOR. AFTER THE SMOKE STOPPED I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR TO MOVE IT AND ROLL UP WINDOWS BUT COULD NOT, THE CAR HAD NO POWER. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, I WAS GLAD TO SEE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE ALTERNATOR FOR MY CAR. HOWEVER, I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH, I DETERMINED THAT THE RECALL WAS ONLY FOR THE 160 AMP ALTERNATOR, MY CAR HAS THE 180 AMP. THIS ALTERNATOR FAILED IN THE EXACT SAME WAY AS THE 160 AMP ALTERNATORS. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THIS HAPPENED WHILE TURNING INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND NOT A BUSY INTERSECTION. SINCE THIS WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL, I AM NOW OUT $1000. I HAVE READ SIMILAR STORIES OF THE EXACT SAME ISSUE WITH THE 180 AMP ALTERNATORS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, PLEASE HELP.