NHTSA complaint #11712713

Owner complaint summary

Steering wheel electrical failure. Melted wiring inside steering wheel. Potential airbag and steering safety failure. Serious safety defect. Fire risk! While getting ready to leave a retail parking lot with heated steering wheel on, we became overwhelmed with fumes. Noticed the steering wheel was hot. Immediately shut off the car and opened the doors. When the fumes subsided, started the car and made sure the heated steering wheel was off. It no longer worked at all, when car was re-started. This could have been life threatening had we been traveling on the highway and not in a parking lot. Took vehicle to our dealer- Central Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge for repair. Dealer service advisor unable to diagnose exact cause due to extent of damage. Also commented shock that we didn’t experience a fire that could have caused the airbag to explode as well. Service advisor stated steering wheel heating element short and steering wheel wiring to clock spring melted due to excessive heat in circuit. I requested photos. I received one photo. I do not believe there were further inspections. Repairs were completed at my expense. Both dealership and Stellantis refuse to cover the cost of repairs citing I had no warranty coverage. I believe this goes beyond normal wear and tear. I did smell something mild, like sugar burning earlier in our errands yet it dissipated quickly and I assumed it was outside, in the air. It wasn’t until the overwhelm of fumes upon starting the car in a retail parking lot that we became aware there was a serious problem and immediately turned the car off.