Something as simple as turning off his car turned into an exercise in frustration. Sometimes Richard Clarke spent 10 or 15 minutes wrestling his keys out of the ignition.
Problems with the ignition switches prompted Chrysler to recall 700,000 SUV's and mini vans including Clarke’s.
Delays with parts have plagued the auto maker but this driver says in his case the dealer said he'd have to pay a $118 diagnostic fee before they would perform the recall.
A fee Clarke says Chrysler customer service confirmed. There should never be a charge when dealing with a manufacturer recall on your vehicle.
In a statement Chyrsler told us. “There is no diagnostic fee. Our customer service folks will resolve this with the customer and the dealer.”
The next day Chrysler called Richard and offered to replace the ignition the following Monday, rental car included. By Tuesday Richard was back on the road with two new keys and a trouble free ignition.
Chrysler announced earlier this year it would speed up the recall fix by changing out the entire ignition switch rather than just components. The problem could also cars to stall while in gear so if you're vehicle is affected you want to contact your nearest dealer as soon as possible.
