The 2014 Dodge Durango is being recalled for a problem with the airbag and safety restraints.
Chrysler Group and Ford Motor Co. have more in common than just being located in metro Detroit: Chrysler is recalling 184,000 SUVs for an airbag defect that caused Ford to recall 850,000 vehicles last month.
The Auburn Hills-based division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling thousands of 2014 Dodge Durangos and Jeep Grand Cherokees due to a possible problem with short circuits that may cause the airbags and safety restraints to fail.
The problem may cause the airbag warning lights to come on, which is a sign that there is a problem with the airbags and the seat-belt pretensioners. The recall covers more than 126,000 SUVs in the U.S. while the rest are in Canada, Mexico and other regions.
The problem is the same as what cause Ford to recall 850,000 vehicles. The action affected some 2013 and 2014 Ford Fusion, Ford Escape, Ford C-Max and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. Of the 850,000-plus vehicles in the recall, 746,842 were sold in the U.S. The rest were in Canada and Mexico.
Just as was the case with Chrysler, the problem is with the restraints control module. It can develop a short that causes the airbag warning light to illuminate or the stability control stop working. However, depending upon where in the system the short develops, it could cause the airbags and the seatbelt pretensioners to falter during a collision.
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In the case of both companies, no injuries or fatalities have been reported and dealers will fix the problem at no cost to vehicle owners.
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The recall is Chrysler’s second in the last few weeks. The maker recalled 349,442 older sedans, wagons and SUVs because of a problem that could inadvertently lead vehicles to shut off while being driven.
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The switches may inadvertently slip out of the Run position without a driver’s intervention. In some cases, that will simply shut off accessories such as the windshield wipers. But if the key turns all the way to the Off position, the vehicle’s engine may then shut off, leading to a potential loss of control and possible crash.
The vehicles covered by the recalls were all produced in 2008 and include the Dodge Charger muscle car, the Dodge Magnum wagon, the Chrysler 300 sedan and two Jeep SUVs, the Grand Cherokee and the Commander.