NHTSA Complaint #11092728 — 2017 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

ON 2-1-18 WE TOOK OUR 2017 PACIFICA TO NEAREST DEALER TO GET NHTSA RECALL ID NUMBER : 18V049 FIXED. THEY DID NOT HAVE A FIX FOR IT YET & COULD NOT LOAN US A CAR WHEN OUR FIX-AVAILABILITY DATE WAS NOT KNOWN--MAYBE EARLY APRIL OR EVEN OVER IN THE FALL. FCA EXPECTED US TO KEEP ON DRIVING IT; BUT MY WIFE AND I BOTH WERE AFRAID OF IT, AS OURS FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN LEAVING A RESTAURANT & PULLING ONTO A BUSY STREET. THE ACCELERATOR WAS DEPRESSED THE 3RD TIME BEFORE IT RESPONDED; AND WHEN IT DID, IT TOOK OFF REALLY FAST AND EVEN SCREECHED THE TIRES. WE WERE AFRAID TO DRIVE IT! ON 2-1-18 WE LEFT IT WITH DEALER & TOLD THEM TO CALL US WHEN FIXED. IN THE INTERIM, WE RENTED A DODGE VAN, CLOSEST TO PACIFICA AS THEY HAD & RETURNED IT ON SAME DAY, 2-21-18, AS THE DEALER CALLED & SAID CAR WAS READY. I FEEL LIKE FCA WAS LEAVING POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS ON THE HIGHWAYS BEING DRIVEN BY UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS. I HAVE ASKED FCA TO REIMBURSE US FOR THE RENTAL EXPENSE, AS FROM MY LIFELONG EXPERIENCE AS AN AUTO MECHANIC I IMMEDIATELY KNEW OUR CAR WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THIS RECALL WAS NOT AS SIMPLE AND NON-DEADLY AS A RECALL TO FIX A DROOPING HEADLINER ON ONE CORNER--IT INVOLVED A POTENTIALLY EVEN DEADLY CRASH THAT COULD HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT. I FEEL THAT I AM NOT ASKING TOO MUCH TO ASK FCA TO PAY FOR OUR RENTAL, WHICH BY THE WAY WAS A LESSER CAR THAN OURS--A DODGE CARAVAN. WE BOTH WILL SOON HIT 80 YEARS OLD : SUCH WAS THE REASON FOR SEARCHING FOR THE CERTIFIED USED PACIFICA WITH ONLY ~16000-17000 MILES ON IT. CHRYSLER'S REIMBURSEMENT DEPT. CALLED ME TODAY--I'VE BEEN BEGGING SINCE LAST OF FEBRUARY--AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? PLEASE HELP : WE HAD TO PUT THE RENTAL ON A CREDIT CARD, FULLY EXPECTING FCA TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPAY US. BUT WE NOW HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT I THINK THEY SHOULD EVEN BE HAPPY TO PAY FOR.