NHTSA Complaint #11155702 — 2017 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

POWER STEERING FAILING COMPLETELY. STARTED INTERMITTENTLY AND WAS FIRST ADVISED THAT A 'LOW BATTERY' CAUSED A POWER SPIKE IN THE POWER STEERING UNIT AND THEY CHARGED THE BATTERY. THEN IT HAPPENED MORE FREQUENT AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT TO THE POWER STEERING UNIT ITSELF WHICH TOOK A WEEK TO REPLACE. THEN TWO DAYS LATER THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE ENTERING A 90 DEGREE CURVE AT 35 MPH. AFTERWARDS I COULD SIT IDLING, WATCHING THE VOLTAGE WANDER BETWEEN 11 VOLTS AND 15 VOLTS, AND HAVE POWER STEERING, BUT AS SOON AS I TURNED ON THE HEADLIGHTS OR FOGLIGHTS OR PUT IT IN GEAR, THE VOLTAGE WOULD STABILIZE AT 14.6-14.8 VOLTS AND THE POWER STEERING WOULD TURN OFF. IT'S BEEN A WEEK AND THEY JUST CONTACTED CHRYSLER. I'M AT 15 DAYS IN THE SHOP BETWEEN FAILED SECONDARY BATTERY, AND A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING AND NO END IN SITE. WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILS, THERE IS PRACTICALLY NO WAY TO TURN THE VEHICLE UNLESS YOU HAVE SIGNIFICANT STRENGTH IN THE ARMS. A NORMAL SIZED WOMAN WOULD ONLY HAVE ONE RECOURSE AND THAT IS TO STOP ABRUPTLY. THIS WILL LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON ME AT 35 MPH, I HAD NO ABILITY TO ABRUPTLY STOP AS I HAD A CAR IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME. THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN BEING REAR ENDED. IF I HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO STEER IT BY SHEER BRUTE FORCE, WE WOULD HAVE CRASHED INTO THE TREES ALONG THE ROAD. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL WHILE SITTING STILL, MUCH LESS DRIVING LIKE IT DID WHEN IT FIRST STARTED. I HAVE VIDEO OF THE POWER STEERING GOING IN AND OUT WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVE WAY.