FCA Reportedly Gearing Up for Giant Tigershark Recall
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is considering a recall on roughly 1 million vehicles equipped with its 2.4-liter Tigershark four-cylinder engine. That incorporates most of FCA’s smaller models, including a few defunct models like the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart.
Reporting from the Detroit Free Press suggests the 2.4-liter unit exceeded allowable emissions limits during testing. While the Tigershark MultiAir II is also featured in a class-action suit over claims that it burns too much oil, FCA said that matter is unrelated to the proposed recall.
“In connection with internal testing, we determined that approximately 1 million vehicles equipped with the 2.4-liter Tigershark engine may have excess tailpipe emissions,” the automaker said in a recent regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other than the obvious oil issue, complaints include lackluster performance and the occasional stalling incident. Based upon shared powertrains, these models could very well be included in the recall hinted at in the SEC document.
From the Detroit Free Press:
“FCA has been working closely with EPA and CARB, and we continue to do so, on a group of vehicles equipped with Tigershark engines. As this population ages, some vehicles exceed in-use emission requirements, depending on drive cycle and mileage. We are conducting test programs to define a remedy, which also requires approval by the agencies. Affected customers will be advised when service becomes available, and will be provided free of charge. This is not a safety issue and there are no enforcement actions,” according to a company statement provided by spokesman Eric Mayne.
The EPA, through spokesperson Enesta Jones, responded to an email from the Free Press by saying that FCA is doing a voluntary recall based on in-use testing done by EPA. The agency released a report last year highlighting its increasing efforts to monitor vehicle emissions, noting that 86 recalls, affecting more than 4.9 million light-duty vehicles, were conducted in 2017.
Interested parties worried about their ride should check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalls website or hit up the Mopar owner’s website to see if their automobile makes the cut. That said, practically everyone expects FCA to make an announcement in the coming weeks.
[Image: Fiat Chrysler]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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