Part of the joy of purchasing a powerful sports car that can cost anywhere between $26,000 and $44,000 is the responsibility of taking care of the vehicle’s physical appearance by keeping it in a safe, covered location and away from elements like dirt, water and human error. Naturally, most automobile owners don’t expect to receive a phone call from the vehicle’s manufacturer telling them to stop parking that car in garages or covered locations, but that’s the situation that several thousand Dodge Challenger owners find themselves in this week after an alarming recall by the Chrysler Group.
Approximately 4,459 2013 Dodge Challengers are being recalled because of a manufacturing defect that can lead to overheating and fires inside the automobiles. In particular, some outlets have reported that the wiring harness may overheat or short circuit, possibly resulting in a fire. According to the Detroit Free Press, a spokesman for Chrysler said that the problem isn’t necessarily due to the wiring harness itself, but the automobile manufacturer is continuing to investigate the issue. Regardless, as many as seven incidents have been reported to the Michigan-based Chrysler Group.
In all, at least 2,500 of these Challenger vehicles that were manufactured through January 24 have already been purchased. The recall affects the Challenger models that were manufactured with the V6 engines; those with the more powerful V8 engines are unaffected.
The rest of the vehicles are located at dealerships, so they will be serviced immediately before they can be sold. However, Chrysler will soon begin contacting owners in order to schedule free repairs and offer loaner vehicles, if necessary. In the meantime, Chrysler officials are urging Challenger drivers to park their vehicles outside in the hopes of avoiding any potential fires from spreading to houses or other structures.