NHTSA Complaint #11330017 — 2013 DODGE VIPER

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND SOMETHING LIKE A RUBBER/ELECTRICAL SMELL WAS NOTICED. I LOOKED IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR AND SEEN I HAD SMOKE FILLING THE REAR OF THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER. GOT OUT AND OPENED THE REAR LIFT GATE AND AS I LOOKED TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON MY REAR LIFT GATE GLASS EXPLODED INTO A MILLION PIECES. IT WAS AS LOUD AS A SHOTGUN GOING OFF. I WAS VERY LUCKY I HAD STOPPED MY CAR AS IT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE CAUSE ME OR SOMEONE DRIVING BEHIND ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD. THERE WASN'T A PIECE OF GLASS NO BIGGER THAN A DIME LEFT OF THE REAR GLASS. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT I DIDN'T GET CUT OR GLASS IN MY EYES. SHORTLY AFTER IT HAPPENED I REMEMBERED THAT IF THE REAR DEFROSTER WAS TURNED ON THAT THE REAR GLASS COULD EXPLODE OUT. I THEN REMEMBERED THAT I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING THE RADIO CHANNEL AND MUST HAVE TOUCHED THE BUTTON FOR THE REAR DEFROSTER. MY DASH SCREEN WAS DIMMED SINCE I WAS RUNNING MY PARKING LIGHTS AND COULD NOT SEE MY RADIO BUTTONS AND INSTEAD PRESSED THE BUTTON TURNING ON THE REAR DEFROSTER INSTEAD OF TRYING TO CHANGE THE RADIO CHANNEL. SOMETHING ABOUT IF THE CARBON FIBER PANELING WAS TOUCHING THE GLASS IT COULD CAUSE A MISHAP. I CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE WASN'T A RECALL ON IT AND THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT AND THAT THERE WAS ONLY A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT IT. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. NOW I HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE MY GLASS AND ALSO I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO USE MY DEFROSTER IN THE FUTURE. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE THIS HAPPENS TO SOMEONE ELSE OR WORSE CAUSE SOMEONE TO HAVE A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE DEALERSHIP NEVER ENSURED MY CAR WAS UPDATED TO PREVENT THIS FROM EVER HAPPENING. FCA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND CORRECT THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM ASAP. *TR