2008 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster Visibility Problems

ON JULY 10 WHEN I LEFT THE OFFICE, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR TO GO HOME IN THE AFTERNOON AND I NOTICED A STRANGE NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. IN THE RED TRAFFIC LIGHT STOP I INSPECTED THE REAR GLASS AND I REALIZED IT IS DETACHED ALMOST 70%, MAINLY THE BOTTOM PORTION, JUST THE UPPER SIDE WAS ATTACHED. I DROVE CAREFULLY ABOUT 5 MILES TO GET HOME AND I WAS WORRIED BECAUSE THE GLASS CAN FALL OFF FROM THE CAR AND HAVE AN INCIDENT WHILE DRIVING IN THE RUSH HOUR IN THE AVENUE I ALWAYS TAKE (45 MILES/HR). I CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR IN THIS CONDITION. I INVESTIGATED AND I SEE SIMILAR REPORTS ABOUT THIS REAR GLASS COMING OFF.

NHTSA ID

11230887

Incident

Jul 8, 2019

Mileage

1 mi

REAR WINDOW BECAME DETACHED FROM CONVERTIBLE TOP, WHICH MEANT THE CAR COULD NOT BE SAFELY DRIVEN. ACCORDING TO DEALER, UNABLE TO REATTACH WINDOW - ENTIRE TOP HAD TO BE REPLACED. CONVERTIBLE TOP WAS REPLACED SO CAR COULD BE DRIVEN SAFELY. THERE WERE ONLY 960 OF THESE CARS MANUFACTURED IN 2008, SO THE PERCENTAGE OF CARS WITH THIS ISSUE MIGHT BE HIGHER THAN WOULD FIRST BE APPARENT.

NHTSA ID

11194430

Incident

Sep 7, 2018

Mileage

90,734 mi

SUMMARY: THE REAR WINDOW GLASS SEPARATED FROM CONVERTIBLE FABRIC TOP WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. DETAILS: ON 8/13/2016, AT ABOUT NOON, NEAR BERTRAM, TEXAS, ON A HOT CLEAR DAY, I PARKED THE SUBJECT VEHICLE ALONG THE SIDE OF A RESIDENTIAL ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME. NOTHING STRUCK OR TOUCHED THE VEHICLE WHILE I TALKED TO NEIGHBORS FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. WHEN I RETURNED, THE REAR WINDOW HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CANVAS ON THE BOTTOM AND SIDES, AND THE LOWER PORTION OF THE WINDOW WAS RESTING ON THE REAR DECK INSIDE THE CAR. THE WINDOW WAS STILL PRECARIOUSLY ATTACHED ALONG THE TOP. THE WIRES CONNECTING TO THE WINDOW GLASS DEFOGGING ELEMENTS WERE STILL ATTACHED AT THE SIDES. IT APPEARED THE BEAD OF GLUE AROUND THE EDGES HAD FAILED, PERHAPS DUE TO HEAT. IT HAD DETACHED FROM THE FABRIC SIDE OF THE GLUE JOINT. I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE BUT THE WINDOW WAS SWINGING AROUND AND HITTING THE CAR BODY, SO I DECIDED IT WAS UNSAFE. I CAREFULLY LOWERED THE TOP INTO THE TRUNK AND CONTINUED HOME. I RETURNED THE TOP TO ITS 'UP' POSITION AND TOOK PHOTOS OF THE SEPARATED WINDOW. IT LOOKED THE SAME AT THAT POINT AS WHEN I FIRST NOTICED IT. (PHOTOS INCLUDED.) I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE HAD THE GLUE FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE REAR WINDOW COULD HAVE FLOWN OUT OR BLOWN INWARD FROM THE BACK DRAFT, HITTING THE ROLL BARS AND SHATTERING GLASS ONTO THE DRIVER. ACCORDING TO NATIONAL NEWS, CHRYSLER ISSUED A TSB FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM FOR THE 2005 MODEL YEAR OF THIS VEHICLE IN SOUTHERN STATES (INCLUDING TEXAS) AND IS PROVIDING EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR ONLY THOSE VEHICLES. IT APPEARS THIS PROBLEM IS NOT LIMITED TO MODEL YEAR 2005. ALTHOUGH THAT YEAR MAY HAVE MORE COMPLAINTS SINCE OVER 2/3 OF ALL CONVERTIBLES SOLD OF THIS MODEL WERE SOLD IN 2005. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT THAT WARRANTS A RECALL.

NHTSA ID

10895588

Incident

Aug 13, 2016

Mileage

24,055 mi

WHEN I OPENED MY VEHICLE TO GET IN, I HEARD SOMETHING LOUD HITTING THE BACK PANEL. I THEN NOTICED MY REAR WINDOW HAD FELL 3/4 OF THE WAY OUT AND HIT THE BACK PANEL OF MY CAR. THE ADHESIVE ON THE REAR WINDOW ASSEMBLY FAILED CAUSING THE WINDOW ASSEMBLY TO PARTIALLY FALL OUT. I IMMEDIATELY LEFT THE CAR IN PARK AND WILL NOT DRIVE IT AS THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE WINDOW STRUCTURE COULD COME OUT CAUSING AN UNSAFE HAZARD TO MYSELF AND OTHERS AS THE WINDOW MAY HIT THE DRIVER OR OTHERS ON THE ROAD WHEN IT FULLY COMES OUT. I ONLY HAVE 33,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND HAVE HAD THIS CAR IN MY GARAGE SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED IT. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE 2005, AT WHICH TIME CHRYSLER ISSUED AN 'EXTENDED WARRANTY' WHICH INCLUDED THE COST TO FIX THIS DEFECT TO THOSE NUMEROUS 2005'S WHO COMPLAINED. HOWEVER, SINCE THAT YEAR, THE AMOUNT OF CROSSFIRES WHICH WERE BUILT AND SENT TO THE US HAS DRASTICALLY DECREASED, WHICH IN TURN, COMPLAINTS DECREASED ALTHOUGH NOTHING WAS DONE BY THEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IN 2008, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ONLY 2000 CROSSFIRES WERE BUILT AND SENT TO THE US, OF WHICH THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS, HOWEVER, CHRYSLER THINKS THE CUSTOMER SHOULD TAKE THE EXPENSE OF FIXING THEIR DEFECTS OF USING INADEQUATE ADHESIVE FOR SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS A WINDOW. I WAS TOLD THE COST WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $1,700-$2,400 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE CONVERTIBLE TOP, WHICH IS WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO TO MAKE THIS SAFE FOR THE CONSUMER. THIS PRESENTS AN UNSAFE HAZARD TO MYSELF AND MY FAMILY AND I AM NOT HAPPY WITH CHRYSLER'S RESPONSE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10705408

Incident

Apr 12, 2015

Mileage

33,000 mi

DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH THE REAR WINDOW DETACHED FROM THE CONVERTIBLE TOP AND CRASHED INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT THE SEALANT/ADHESIVE FAILED AND THE REAR WINDOW BUT IT COULD NOT BE RE-ATTACHED. THE CHRYSLER DEALER ORDERED A NEW TOP WITH WINDOW. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES FOR THIS REPAIR. THE DEALER CHARGED $2,605.00 TO REPLACE THE CONVERTIBLE TOP. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE AS THE REAR WINDOW COULD HAVE INJURED THE OCCUPANTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10664135

Incident

Jul 1, 2014

Mileage

9,876 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 CHRYSLER CROSSFIRE ROADSTER THAT I BOUGHT IN TAMPA, FL. ON SEPTEMBER 22ND 2014 WHEN I NOTICED A WIND SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE PASSENGER SIDE. I NOTICED A SEPARATION IN THE REAR WINDOW GLASS FROM THE CONVERTIBLE TOP. BY THE TIME I ARRIVED HOME THE GLASS HAS SEPARATED MORE THAN HALF WAY FROM THE CONVERTIBLE TOP. I WILL NOT DRIVE THIS CROSSFIRE ANYMORE AS I BELIEVE THIS SEPARATION MENTIONED ABOVE TO BE UNSAFE AND COULD POSSIBLY FAIL COMPLETELY AND CAUSE A HAZARD TO MYSELF AND OTHERS OR CRASH DURING DRIVING. I LIVE IN SACRAMENTO, CA. *TR

NHTSA ID

10663277

Incident

Sep 22, 2014

Mileage

45,500 mi

THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AT A RATE OF SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND DETECTED AN UNUSUALLY LOUD RATTLING NOISE FROM BEHIND. AFTER APPROACHING AND STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE OWNER/DRIVER TURNED AND LOOKED TO DISCOVER THAT APPROXIMATELY 1/4TH OF THE ENTIRE REAR WINDOW ASSEMBLY HAD DETACHED FROM THE CONVERTIBLE TOP. THE ADHESIVE THAT ATTACHES THE SOFT-TOP CANVAS MATERIAL TO THE REAR WINDOW HAS FAILED. THE OWNER IS CONCERNED THAT THE REMAINING ADHESIVE WILL ALSO FAIL RESULTING IN THE ENTIRE WINDOW FALLING OUT AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. OWNER DEEMS THE VEHICLE AS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. A PRIOR COMPLAINT OF A SIMILAR INCIDENT (ALSO WITH THE 2008 CHRYSLER CROSSFIRE ROADSTER) WITH THIS SAME ISSUE WAS RECENTLY FILED ON MAY 20TH, 2013(NHTSA-ID-NUMBER: 10412807 & VIN# [XXX]). THIS PRIOR INCIDENT OCCURRED ON MAY 4TH, 2013. CHRYSLER HANDLED THIS COMPLAINT WITH A FULL REPLACEMENT OF THE CONVERTIBLE TOP ASSEMBLY. THE MAY 20TH, 2013 COMPLAINT REPORT ALSO CITES THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM CHRYSLER HAS HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE THE 2005 MODEL YEAR WHEN LARGE NUMBERS OF THESE FAILURES WERE REPORTED. CHRYSLER FINALLY ISSUED A RECALL IN SEPTEMBER OF 2011 FOR THE 2005 VEHICLES BUT LIMITED THE RECALL TO ONLY VEHICLES IN JUST EIGHT STATES FOR A REASON THEY DID NOT DISCLOSE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10532177

Incident

Jul 21, 2013

Mileage

80,275 mi

ADHESIVE ON REAR WINDOW ASSEMBLY IN THE CONVERTIBLE TOP FAILED CAUSING WINDOW ASSEMBLY TO FALL OUT. INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER PARKING VEHICLE IN GARAGE - OWNER WATCHED WINDOW ASSEMBLY FALL AWAY AS HE WENT TO CLOSE THE GARAGE DOOR...VEHICLE IS LOW MILES, ALWAYS GARAGED OR COVERED, ALWAYS HANDWASHED - NOT POWERWASHED. THIS APPEARS TO BE SAME PROBLEM CHRYSLER HAS HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE THE 2005 MODEL YEAR WHEN LARGE NUMBERS OF THESE FAILURES WERE REPORTED. MUCH FEWER ARE REPORTED FOR 2006, 2007 OR 2008 AS MANY FEWER WERE BUILT AND EVEN FEWER OF THOSE WERE IMPORTED TO THE US. THIS 2008 IS THE ONLY ONE I HAVE FOUND REPORTS OF WINDOW ASSEMBLY FAILURE ON TO DATE, BUT THEN ONLY 2,000 WERE BUILT AND MOST OF THEM DID NOT COME TO THE US. CHRYSLER, AFTER MUCH NOISE AT THE CONSUMER LEVEL, FINALLY ISSUED A RECALL IN SEPTEMBER 2011 FOR THE 2005 VEHICLES (X31 TSB SB-23035-11REVA), BUT LIMITED THE RECALL, FOR A REASON THEY DID NOT DISCLOSE, TO ONLY VEHICLES SOLD IN JUST EIGHT STATES...UPDATED 06/12/13 *BF *TR

NHTSA ID

10512807

Incident

May 4, 2013

Mileage

19,775 mi