NHTSA Complaint #10995221 — 2014 RAM 5500

MAY 30, 2017 MY 2014 RAM 5500 DIESEL DUMP TRUCK HAD A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE/MELTING FROM THE FIRE. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN APRIL OF 2015 AND IT WAS 'JUST OUT OF WARRANTY" AT JUST OVER 37,000 MILES ON IT. THE SOURCE OF THE DAMAGE WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE DENSO INTERNATIONAL ALTERNATOR. FCA SENT A FIELD INSPECTOR TO THE SERVICE CENTER WHERE THE TRUCK WAS TOWED, AND MY VEHICLE INSURANCE COMPANY ALSO SENT AN INSPECTOR THERE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY WILL COVER MOST OF THE DAMAGES BUT NOT THE ALTERNATOR NOR THE LABOR FOR THE ALTERNATOR AS FCA KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THAT PART WAS DEFECTIVE AS RAM HAS RECALLED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ALTERNATORS DUE TO SAFETY FIRE HAZARD BUT THEN CONTINUE TO USE THE SAME MANUFACTURER'S DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS IN THEIR VEHICLES. FCA SENT A LETTER REFUSING TO GIVE GOOD WILL AUTHORIZATION, AS WAS PROMISED BY THE CHRYSLER DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM, TO COVER THE DAMAGE AND REPAIRS "BECAUSE IT'S OUT OF ALTERNATOR WARRANTY" - THEY KNEW THAT BEFORE THEY TOWED IT TO THE SERVICE CENTER. THE FEDERAL MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY ACT STATES THAT CONSUMERS HAVE AN IMPLIED WARRANTY BEYOND THE LIMITED WARRANTY FROM MANUFACTURERS. CONSUMERS PURCHASE NEW VEHICLES IN GOOD FAITH THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO START ON FIRE DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS. THE FACT THAT THE SAME PART, THE ALTERNATOR, HAS HAD ABOUT 900,000 RECALLS IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS SHOWS ME THAT THEY KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT CONTINUING TO USE THE DENSO INTERNATIONAL ALTERNATORS IS A FIRE SAFETY HAZARD AND MY TRUCK SHOULD BE PART OF A RECALL SINCE IT STARTED ON FIRE ORIGINATING FROM THE ALTERNATOR. CONSUMERS DESERVE BETTER! THE VEHICLE HAS A SMELL BUT NO SENSORS CAME ON, THE POWER STEERING STARTED TO ACT UP WHILE DRIVING, I PULLED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. PUT OUT THE FIRE AND PULLED THE ALTERNATOR TO GET THE PART NUMBER TO GIVE TO AUTO PLACE.