FCA Recalling 1.7 Million Trucks For Airbag Issues
This has not been a banner summer for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. In the past 90 days, FCA has recalled nearly 4 million cars and trucks for various issues including hackable cars, volatile fuel tanks, faulty airbags and now, in some of its Ram trucks, airbags with minds of their own.
In a statement Thursday, FCA said it was recalling more than 1 million pickups for a faulty steering wheel wiring harness that could rub against a spring and deploy the driver’s side airbag. The company said it was aware of two injuries related to the airbag deployment. Ram trucks — all models — made between 2012-2014 are affected by the recall. More than 235,000 trucks in Canada will be recalled as well.
In addition, FCA is recalling roughly 350,000 trucks for faulty welds and non-compliant side-curtain airbags.
Earlier this summer, FCA recalled 1.4 million cars and trucks for vulnerable infotainment systems that could be hacked and allow the car to be remotely controlled. Additionally, FCA last month recalled nearly 300,000 Dodge Chargers for an airbag flaw.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration levied a record fine and increased oversight for a botched recall of 1.5 million Jeeps and Ram trucks for a range of issues including a gas tank that could ignite in specific rear collision circumstances.
The federal agency fined FCA $105 million and forced the automaker to offer buybacks for some of its cars. In addition to the fine and recalls, NHTSA ruled an independent auditor to oversee FCA’s recalls for the next two years.
More by Aaron Cole
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At least they aren't randomly deploying and blowing shrapnel into the passenger compartment.
I hope Dan Patrick lets his listeners know.
How do the dealers propose to repair faulty welds? Not many service departments even have welding equipment.
I can understand FCA conducting a recall if there was a PROBLEM with that many airbags, but that's an awful lot of effort to go to fix a mere ISSUE. On another note, NHTSA's been rather uppity about recalls this past year. I figure this is the automotive equivalent of peanut allergies, in that there's nothing ACTUALLY "unsafe" about cars these days, so the government gets all wrapped around the axle about theoretical dangers and potential problems because it needs SOMETHING to do with its power.