More Than 650,000 Chrysler Vehicles Recalled

2013 Chrysler 200 (Chrysler Group)

In two separate press releases on Wednesday, Chrysler Group announced that they will be recalling more than 650,000 vehicles in the U.S.

Chrysler Group says one recall affects about 442,000 of the following U.S. models: 2011-2013 Chrysler Sebring, Chrysler 200, Dodge Avenger, Jeep Liberty and 2011-2012 Dodge Nitro. The problem, according to Chrysler, is possible “faulty microcontrollers” that could negatively impact the performance of active head restraints during a crash. Active head restraints are designed to help protect passengers from neck injuries when the vehicle is struck from behind.

Chrysler adds that the microcontrollers “entered the supply chain after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused a worldwide microcontroller shortage.” The supplier of this part has not been identified.

For those vehicles affected, Chrysler will notify their owners and Chrysler dealerships will replace the microcontroller or upgrade the software free of charge.

The second recall affects 224,000 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country and Ram Cargo Van models, and is due to a software problem that deploys side airbags on the unaffected side of the vehicle in a side impact.

Chrysler says that after receiving a customer complaint, they investigated the problem and found that, in a collision, the airbag from the side of the car opposite the collision deploys. Only the side affected by the crash is supposed to be deployed. Chrysler adds that the airbags in the steering wheel and dashboard are not affected.

Chrysler will update the airbag-control software to correct this problem.

Owners of vehicles with either of these recalls can call Chrysler Group at 1-800-853-1403 for more information.

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Chrysler Has Limited Time to Respond to NHTSA Recall Request

Chrysler Group LLC has just a few more days to formally respond to a request from the government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty SUVs. On June 3, NHTSA asked Chrysler Group to voluntarily recall the vehicles. On June 4, Chrysler Group said it would not participate in a recall. NHTSA gave the automaker until June 18 to formally respond and explain why it would not comply with the recall request.

The 2007 Jeep Liberty. (Chrysler Group LLC)

The Detroit News reports that after Chrysler's response, the NHTSA "could then issue a formal finding and hold a public hearing seeking a recall. Chrysler last objected to a recall in 1997." The Detroit News adds that a public hearing could be a public relations disaster for Chrysler, as the hearing could include “possible testimony from parents who lost children in Jeep fires that the government blames on a defective design." According to the Detroit News, NHTSA says 32 rear-impact fires in 1993 – 2004 Grand Cherokees have caused 44 deaths. In the 2002 – 2007 Jeep Liberty, NHTSA says seven deaths are the result of five rear-impact fires.
It is exceedingly rare for an automaker to refuse to comply with a NHTSA recall request. Michigan Live writes, "Especially since Toyota Motor Corp.’s unintended acceleration problems in late-2000s, automakers have been open to recalling millions of vehicles nearly at the drop of a hat to avoid public scrutiny, lawsuits and collateral damage."
Cars.com says, "Automakers refusing to comply with a recall request are uncommon these days. But not uncommon in the past four decades are government investigations of similar fuel-system issues. One of the most well-known cases involved the recall of 1.5 million Ford Pintos and Mercury Bobcats in 1978 after rear crashes resulted in 27 deaths and two-dozen injuries."
Because the recall covers the composition and placement of the fuel tanks in the affected Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty models, fixing the issue on 2.7 million models would be very expensive for Chrysler Group. In a June 4 statement, the automaker says it "has been working and sharing data with the Agency on this issue since September 2010. The company does not agree with NHTSA’s conclusions and does not intend to recall the vehicles cited in the investigation. The subject vehicles are safe and are not defective."
Until Chrysler and the NHTSA resolve the issue, consumers are left in limbo.  Many analysts agree that whether Chrysler complies with the recall or not, owners of affected vehicles can expect to see a dip in their car's resale value.

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Chrysler Recalls 215k Vehicles

2012 Dodge Challenger. Photo courtesy of Chrysler Group.

Chrysler Group has issued six different recalls across its four major brands, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep, for various issues. The total number of vehicles recalled in the U.S. is approximately 215,000.
The largest recall affects about 119,497 vehicles, according to NHTSA. Affected models include 2011-2012 Dodge Challenger, Charger and Chrysler 300 models built between April 11, 2011 and Dec. 14, 2011. A component of the model’s air bag wiring harness may be improperly sized, and as a result, the airbags may not properly deploy in a crash. Chrysler's campaign number for this recall is N07, and the NHTSA campaign number is 13V118000.
The second recall affects 61,409 2007-2008 Dodge Nitro 4x2 vehicles manufactured between March 21, 2006 and March 1, 2008, as well as 2008 Jeep Liberty 4x2 models built between Feb. 15, 2007 and March 1, 2008. According to NHTSA, the heat shield on the transfer case may rub against the drive shaft, which could potentially weaken and cause the drive shaft to break. If this happens, the vehicle will be inoperable. Additionally the air bag computer may falsely believe that the vehicle has been involved in a collision and deploy the airbags. Chrysler’s campaign number for this recall is N10 and the NHTSA campaign number is 13V121000.
Chrysler is also recalling 20,532 2012 Jeep Patriot and Compass models built between Oct. 18, 2011 and May 7, 2012. NHTSA says that a transfer tube between the primary and secondary sides of the fuel tank may have been improperly manufactured, which could interrupt the flow of fuel, which would cause the engine to stall. Chrysler's campaign number for this recall is N17 and the NHTSA campaign number is 13V120000.
Autoblog states that those three recalls are official government recalls issued on behalf of Chrysler, while the next three were announced by the automaker.

2013 Ram 1500. Photo courtesy of Chrysler Group.

Chrysler is recalling 6,600 2013 Ram 1500 models built between Dec. 17, 2012 and Jan. 22, 2013 to inspect the parking brakes, which may not function properly. More information can be found on Chrysler’s website. Additionally, about 7,000 2013 Ram HD models are being recalled to replace engine covers which may not be properly heat-resistant. In a statement, Chrysler says that only about 500 of these models are in the hands of customers, while the rest of them are still on dealer lots.
Finally, Chrysler is recalling 46 2013 Dodge Dart models that were built over a 24-hour period in November. Chrysler says that the brake calipers on these models do not meet Chrysler's specifications.
With each of the recalls, Chrysler will notify owners of the affected vehicles, and start performing repairs, free of charge, between April and May. Owners may contact Chrysler at 248-512-6660 or 800-247-9753. Owners of vehicles recalled by NHTSA may also contact NHTSA at 888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov.

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Buying "American" Could Mean Buying Foreign

In a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 75 percent of those surveyed considered a product American if it was manufactured in the U.S. In the same survey released last week, 15 percent of those surveyed also named Ford as the most American company.
"What many consumers don't know is that companies very traditionally seen as American, from GE to John Deere to Levi Strauss, outsource varying portions of their operations overseas, so it takes a lot of attention and research to determine if you're buying American and what that specifically means to you," said Mike de Vere, president of the Harris Poll. "Even the big three automakers - Ford, General Motors and Chrysler - two of whom were thought of as the most American brands in our findings, increasingly have cars in which parts are produced abroad, while Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda have upped U.S. production."
Although Ford is considered the most American company by survey respondents, the annual American-Made Index by Cars.com only has one Ford vehicle listed (the Ford F-150). Cars.com says the “American-Made Index recognizes cars that are built here, have a high percentage of domestic parts and are bought in large numbers by American consumers.” The index, made up of 10 vehicles, has five Japanese-branded models that some consumers may automatically disqualify because they are made by a foreign car company. In reality, the Japanese Toyota Camry has ranked number one in the index over the last four years. The Camry is assembled in Kentucky and Indiana and is built with more U.S. parts than any other vehicle based on the index criteria.
Besides the Toyota Camry, the Sienna and Tundra made the list for 2012. Tying Toyota as the most represented automaker was General Motors, with the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. Representing Honda was the Accord and Pilot, and one vehicle from Chrysler Group, the Jeep Liberty, made the list.
AOL Autos says, “‘Buy American,’ is an important criteria for many consumers as they think about supporting local jobs, buying local and helping the U.S. economy. But because large companies like automakers operate globally, defining ‘American’ and ‘local’ is actually quite different.”
Cars.com says that the automotive industry is becoming more global, as evidenced by the top two vehicles on its list. The Toyota Camry receives some drivetrains from Canada, and the V8 installed in the F-150 currently comes from Canada as well. Sometimes having parts come together from all around the globe helps the automaker’s bottom line. Ford, for example, earned a profit partly by instilling a global One Ford strategy that meant getting rid of some its domestic components, according to Cars.com.
With that criterion in mind, might it be OK to consider a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord for your next vehicle purchase if you’re looking to “buy American”? AOL Autos says trying to decipher which vehicles are more American (a foreign vehicle with more U.S.-made parts or a U.S. company that makes a vehicle with more foreign parts), may be too much of a headache for most consumers.
For consumers whose main focus is buying an American-made car, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website has a report of the amount of U.S./Canadian parts, by percentage, installed in each vehicle that is sold in the U.S.

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