NHTSA Complaint #11089218 — 2013 DODGE CHALLENGER

SMART GLASS DRAINING BATTERY, TAKATA INFLATOR RECALL, TIMING CHAIN RECALL AND ALTERNATOR RECALL IN DEC 2017 MY DODGE CHALLENGER 13' RAN OUT OF BATTERY & WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THERE WERE 2 RECALLS, ONE BEING AN ALTERNATOR, CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DRAIN AND NOT ABLE TO BE JUMPED. AFTER 1.5 MONTHS OF TALKING TO CHRYSLER FCA RECALLS ABOUT HOW TO GET THE RECALL WORK COMPLETE, MY CAR ARRIVED AT COVERT DODGE IN AUSTIN IN JAN 2018 (I PAID FOR TOW OUT OF POCKET). FROM DEC TO MAR 20TH, I WAS WITHOUT A CAR AND COVERT /FCA WOULD NOT PUT ME IN A RENTAL WHILE WAITING ON BACK ORDERED PARTS. ON MAR 20TH, THEY PUT ME IN A RENTAL VEHICLE. APR 20TH FCA CALLED TO TELL ME: 1) ALL 3 RECALLS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED 2) THE SMART GLASS WINDOW MODULE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY WHAT IS CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DRAIN, IS STILL ON BACKORDER (ETA MAY 29, BUT NOT A FIRM ETA AND THIS PART HAS BEEN ON BACKORDER SINCE JAN) BUT THE CAR CAN BE DRIVEN WITHOUT OPERABLE WINDOWS, 3) I NEED TO RETURN THE RENTAL IN 2 DAYS AND PICK UP MY CAR. I STATED THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE A CAR WITH INOPERABLE WINDOWS (GETTING PULLED OVER AND HAVING TO OPEN MY DOOR TO TALK TO THE POLICE, EXTREMELY HOT WEATHER IN TEXAS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO OPEN THE WINDOWS, LITTLE KIDS AND CAR SICKNESS, UNABLE TO USE DRIVE-THROUGH ANYTHING, ETC). THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT HE CAN'T COMMENT ON SAFETY, BUT THE CAR IS DRIVABLE. THE CASE MANAGER AT FCA SAID THAT SHE CAN ONLY ADDRESS SAFETY CONCERNS IN BULLETINS FROM FCA. THE SMART GLASS WINDOW MODULE HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER FOR ME SINCE JAN 2018 AND NO CONFIRMED ETA. THIS PART HAS BEEN RECALLED ON 2012 AND 2011 CHALLENGER AND MULTIPLE OTHER MOPAR PART CARS. THERE IS A LONG LIST OF PEOPLE WAITING FOR THIS PART (PROBABLY 1000S), MANY DUE TO A RECALL. IN THE MEANTIME, I'M EXPECTED TO USE MY CAR WITHOUT WORKING WINDOWS - MEANING WINDOWS HAVE TO BE CLOSED AND CAN NOT OPEN.