Chrysler Group’s announcement today it is recalling 907,000 vehicles in two new campaigns is latest in a steady string of actions during the last six weeks from the Auburn Hills, Michigan-unit of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
The recalls involve faulty alternators and power mirror electrical connectors. There have been no injuries, fatalities or accidents as a result of either problem, according to the automaker.
Chrysler is recalling 470,000 2011-2014 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles with a 3.6-liter engine and a 160 amp alternator because the alternator may suddenly fail and result in vehicle shutdown, shutoff or a fire.
Chrysler said it has one reported incident, and it doesn’t yet have a fix. Of the vehicles recalled, 434,581 are in the U.S.; 16,080 in Canada; 2,335 in Mexico and 17,000 outside North America.
Chrysler is also recalling 434,581 2011-2013 Jeep Wrangler SUVs because rust in the exterior heated power mirror electrical connector may result in an electrical short. The recall includes 313,236 Wranglers in the U.S.; 39,627 in Canada; 5,685 in Mexico and 78,369 outside North America.
Today’s actions are just latest in a spate of recalls for a variety of issues. In August, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne established a separate organization, the Vehicle Safety Compliance Office, to review any potential recall situation. He also had the company’s previous recalls reviewed. While Fiat Chrysler officials have denied the new group is behind the increase in recalls by the automaker, they do seem to be on the rise. The recalls since the compliance office was created have included:
- Roughly 185,000 SUVs sold during the 2014 model-year because of potential electrical problems. The vehicles covered by that recall include the 2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee models.
- About 349,400 Dodge Chargers, Dodge Magnums, Chrysler 300 sedans, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Commander from 2008 that could inadvertently shut off while being driven.
- Nearly 189,000 2011 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs due to a possible part failure in the fuel pump. A contact spring can malfunction due to the heat caused by contact power, ambient temperature around the fuel pump relay, and battery voltage.
It’s the fuel pump issue that has garnered the automaker ongoing unwanted attention. Affecting 188,723 SUVs in the U.S. manufactured between Jan. 5, 2010 and July 20, 2011, with either a 3.6-liter or 5.7-liter engine, the faulty part may cause the vehicles to stall without warning and increase the risk of a crash, according to the NHTSA website.
The maker is recalling more than 230,000 SUVs globally for the problem. Owners will be notified and dealers will replace the fuel pump part free of charge. The expected start date is Oct. 24.
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However, safety advocate Clarence Ditlow, who heads up the Center for Auto Safety, believes this one recall isn’t enough. He thinks Chrysler should recall all vehicles using the fuel pumps.
Ditlow’s group filed a petition asking NHTSA to investigate power system failures in Chrysler vehicles that could cause them to stall while being driven last month.
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The petition claims that an electrical power control module used by Chrysler in millions of vehicles since 2007 is faulty and can cause them to stall and cut electrically powered devices used by Ram pickup trucks, Chrysler and Dodge minivans, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango and Dodge Journey SUVs, the Jeep Wrangler and other models.
The group said it has received more than 70 complaints and that the government has received hundreds. Ditlow has also been pushing for a more extensive investigation of Chrysler fuel tanks that he believes are extremely dangerous.
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The maker has recalled 1.6 million Jeeps using the tanks, but implementing the fix to resolve the problem – installing a trailer hitch – is going slowly. In June 2013, Chrysler agreed to recall 1993-98 Grand Cherokee and 2002-7 Jeep Liberty sport utility vehicles after NHTSA said the vehicles were prone to fires in rear-impact crashes because the gas tank was behind the rear axle and extended partly below the rear bumper.
However, the maker didn’t begin repairing the vehicles until August 2014. Ditlow has been pressuring the automaker to recall 2.7 million vehicles that use the tanks. Chrysler maintains the gas tanks are safe.
I don’t understand why Chrysler is recalling their vehicles for a fuel pump defect that can cause stalling when BMW has sold X35i models with the same problem for 5+ years and these vehicles have never been properly repaired even though they are listed on the NHTSA website as a Safety Defect. Why is BMW exempt from properly fixing all of the X35i models that have chronic fuel pump failures?