NHTSA Complaint #11092819 — 2017 CHRYSLER 200

PARKED VEHICLE. WHILE VEHICLE ENGINE STILL RUNNING AND PLACED IN PARK, I REMOVED MY DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT. WITHIN 10 SECONDS OF DOING SO, THE PANEL FLASHED THAT THE AWD WAS DISABLED, THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE WARNING INDICATOR STATED TO "HAVE PARKING BRAKE SERVICED" I HAD NOT ENGAGED THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE MANUALLY, BUT ATTEMPTED TO REVERSE THE VEHICLE, ONLY TO FIND THE PARKING BRAKE HAD ENGAGED ON IT'S OWN. I WORK IN AUTOMOTIVE WARRANTY, SO I LOGGED INTO MY WORK ACCOUNT AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH A SHORT IN THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE SYTEM AND IS RELATED TO THE SEAT BELT. I PLACED VEHICLE IN PARK, CUT THE POWER TO THE ENGINE, WAITED FOR A FEW MINUTES, REPLACED MY SEAT BELT AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. ALL THE SAME CODES FLASHED ON THE PANEL FOR A ABOUT 20 SECONDS, AND THEN CLEARED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE ON THIS VEHICLE AND HAS AN EPA ISSUED FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORT FOR THE PARKING BREAK AND ABS SYSTEM. NOT SURE WHY THERE ISN'T AN OFFICIAL RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE AS IF IT WERE TO OCCUR WHILE DRIVING, INJURY WOULD MOST LIKELY OCCUR WHEN PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM SELF ENGAGES.