NHTSA complaint #11762669

Owner complaint summary

Vehicle suffered sudden loss of motive power due to Diagnostic Trouble Code P0A43 (Drive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit Intermittent). The failure is caused by thermal and chemical degradation of the internal transmission wiring harness, resulting in an internal electrical short submerged in transmission fluid. The vehicle is able to be powered on again and driving can be continued however certain speeds trigger the issue. The check engine light appears and remains for a short period. The vehicle was purchased through CarMax of Naperville, IL [XXX]. The vehicle began to experience the defined issue the last week of May 2026. The vehicle was brought to CarMax [XXX]. CarMax transferred the repair of the vehicle to Castle Chrysler of Naperville/Stellantis IL, and they conducted the initial repair. Stellantis attempted to mask this hardware failure via software recalibrations under NHTSA Recall 03A (23V-010) rather than replacing physical parts. The vehicle was returned and appeared to be repaired. [XXX] the same issue occurred while on a cross country road trip. The vehicle was able to be driven but under specific speed conditions as not to activate the transmission failure. [XXX] the vehicle was brought to an independent technician at Stephens Automotive in Palatine, IL and they were able to verify the issue and documented it. The vehicle was then brought to Castle Chrysler on [XXX], and the vehicle has been there since. Stellantis later acknowledged the true physical failure via Warranty Extension XE1 and TSB 21-014-26, requiring Electric Rebuild Kit #68729719AB. The vehicle has been continuously grounded at Castle Chrysler since [XXX] (30 cumulative days) because Part #68729719AB is on indefinite backorder. Stellantis's failure to supply hardware repairs leaves the vehicle inoperable and creates a severe safety hazard on public roads. Stellantis Case #[XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)