TORONTO – A Whitby-area Chrysler owner faced a $1,200 bill for a new alternator, even though the part was the subject of a voluntary, manufacturer recall.
Sara Sheppard says her 2011 Dodge Charger broke down last weekend after she noticed a burning smell in her car. She says it wouldn’t start so she had it towed to a local dealership.
“They said we needed a new alternator,” at a cost of about $1,200, said Sheppard. But Sheppard figured she wouldn’t be out-of-pocket because the alternator was part of a recall issued in October.
But instead, Sheppard was told by the dealership that she would have to pay for the repairs herself. Unsatisfied, she called Chrysler Canada and opened a file.
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For almost two days, without the use of her car, Sheppard says she waited with no assurances it would be repaired. She called Global News for help.
Chrysler spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin said “reimbursement consideration…is reviewed on a case by case basis.”
Phil Edmonston, author of the LemonAid guides, said many automakers are pulling the trigger to initiate recalls but aren’t ready to follow through with repairs.
A day after Global News contacted Chrysler, Sheppard was called by a customer service representative and told that on a “goodwill basis” her alternator would be replaced at no cost to her.
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