NHTSA Complaint #11073637 — 2012 DODGE CHALLENGER

THIS IS IN REGARD TO THE DODGE T36 ALTERNATOR RECALL. AFTER THE RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED, MY CAR WAS AFFECTED. I WANT TO ADD ANOTHER REPORT. IN MID 2017, A HIGHER PITCH NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. 2 TO 3 MONTHS LATER, I TOOK THE CAR TO MY DEALER WHO AFFIRMED THE NOISE WAS THE SOUND OF THE ALTERNATOR CHARGING. THE RECALL REPLACEMENT PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. AS LONG AS I WAS OPERATIONAL, THE ADVICE WAS TO WAIT. 2 MONTHS AFTER THE DEALER VISIT, WHILE DRIVING ONE MORNING, MY ALTERNATOR FAILED, THE BATTERY WAS DEAD, AND MY ENGINE DIED. WHEN I LEFT OUT THAT MORNING, A COUPLE OF THE IDIOT LIGHTS CAME ON WHICH WAS WEIRD. THEN 15 MINUTES LATER, WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON A BUSY ROAD, THE RADIO WAS GLITCHING, MANY OF THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS ABLE TO MOVE OVER TO THE RIGHT LANE, THOUGH NEARLY SIDESWIPING ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE PROCESS. THE ENGINE THEN JUST CEASED. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP IN A SAFE SPOT. NO POWER WHATSOEVER. CAR TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER CLAIMED BATTERY, WHICH WAS THE ORIGINAL, DID NOT DIE AS A RESULT OF THE ALTERNATOR FAILURE. TO ME, THE TIMING SAYS OTHERWISE. IF THE BATTERY WAS ON ITS WAY OUT, THIS SURE FINISHED IT OFF. DEALER INSTALLED A NEW BATTERY AND A REPLACEMENT ALTERNATOR - BUT THIS WAS THE EXISTING NON-REPLACEMENT ALTERNATOR STOCK. ONCE THE RECALL REPLACEMENT PART BECOMES AVAILABLE, WHENEVER THAT WILL BE, I WILL NEED TO TAKE THE CAR IN AGAIN TO HAVE THAT PUT IN IF IT'S A REPLACEMENT PART TO THE ALTERNATOR. OTHERWISE, IF IT'S A WHOLE ALTERNATOR UNIT, THEN THEY WILL SWAP OUT THE EXISTING STOCK NEW ONE I RECEIVED. DEALER/MFR DID NOT COVER THE COST OF THE NEW BATTERY. THEY DID REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR AT NO COST.