Here now is the latest answer and manipulations by Chrysler in regard to having defective tops replaced at their expense on 2005 Crossfire Roadsters.

There has been a Manufacturer Warranty Extension that covers this replacement which supersedes the consumer warranty offered by Chrysler. It is targeted to Crossfires IF AND ONLY IF ALL THE FOLLOWING ARE TRUE.

1. Your Crossfire is a 2005.
2. You are the original owner. (One Chrysler Consumer Care rep told me this is also true regardless of owner history.)
3. You have less than 100,000 miles AND it is less than 10 ten years old.
4. Your car was built for use in the southern US states. This means that your specific car (VIN) was built to specs for those states.

Hold on. It gets good from here.

If you believe that you qualify (or to find out their list of approved southern states) or you want to find out whats going on for yourself, CALL CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE AT 1-800-992-1997. They can tell you if you qualify from the last eight digits of your VIN. Expect "No" for an answer.

Having said that -- they STILL SCREWED ME. Apparently my car was built for VA, hence to VA specs, and moved to NC by the dealership prior to sale. So a new car bought in NC was, in fact, a VA car according to Chrysler. And VA cars did not pose the same problems as the southern spec cars, so they did not need the better adhesive and mechanisms that NC cars warranted to have their rag-top actually move when the button is pressed or be subjected to forced air ventilation through the window hole in the back.

If my VA car, bought in NC was only a real NC car, then it would be considered a defective, car, not my bad luck.

CHRYSLER SUCKER PUNCHED ME. I WAS SUPPOSED TO ASK, WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR, WHICH STATE IT WAS DESIGNED FOR SO THAT IF, YEARS LATER, THERE WAS A MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY ISSUED, I WOULD KNOW IF THE CAR I BOUGHT WAS DESIGNED FOR THE WEATHER WHERE I BOUGHT IT... I FORGOT TO ASK!

Service has not been much better. When I went to the Chrysler dealer in my area he refused to work on the car, saying it was not his problem, he had no software nor any certified mechanics for Crossfires. He mumbled something about a battle between Chrysler and Mercedes over the engineering fiasco called the Crossfire and refused to recognize the emblem on the car as being a Chrysler product. He suggested I go to Mercedes and try to get it fixed there.

Makes you want to buy a Chrysler again, doesn't it?

I am not a Chrysler employee so I can only communicate what I learned from the Chrysler Customer Care rep over the last two days.

So bottom line if your car was designed for the South you get the prize, regardless of where you bought it. Specs designed for Alabama but you live in Arkansas, you win!! If, however, you bought an Arkansas car in Georgia, you lose!! Best call them to see if you won this lottery.

Helloo??

Any leads on new ways to fix the ragtop problem without investing $2500 into a $10,000 car???

Good luck!