Photo: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
The Jeep Wrangler may be one of the toughest off-roaders out there, but that doesn't mean it's immune to faults or issues that can affect any other car. Indeed, 2015 has been quite a bad year for the Wrangler. And for Fiat Chrysler, for that matter.
Complaints regarding electrical faults have been rolling in all year, and now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced an extensive engineering analysis. It involves 628,167 units (2007-2012 models) and follows an initial investigation that started in June.
After gathering almost 500 complaints and after Fiat Chrysler Automobiles made available to the NHTSA nearly 17,000 warranty claims related to the issue, the agency has decided to take more serious measures and moved one step closer to issuing a formal recall demand.
The electrical fault involves the clockspring wiring and may lead to the driver-side airbag not deploying. Six of the complaints allege that the airbag did not, in fact, deploy on impact, as it was supposed to. One report claims that injuries were sustained as a direct result of the airbag's failure to deploy.
There are, however, warranty claims relating to the clockspring wiring that did not involve or affect airbag operation. But even the possibility of the wiring problem leading to airbag failure is, needless to say, a pretty big thing.
FCA are treating it as such, promising full cooperation and urging people to contact their dealers if they see the airbag warning light turn on. In addition to the 500 or so complaints filed with the NHTSA, over 1,700 further consumer complaints, field reports and legal claims have been identified by Fiat Chrysler as relating to the electrical problem.
FCA have already recalled around 10,000 2008-2012 Jeep Wranglers over the issue, and provided extended warranty coverage for 2007 models. All of the recalls involve right-hand models and were made in the aftermath of a 2011 investigation.
Moreover, 164,000 2014 and 2015 Jeep Cherokees were recalled by Fiat Chrysler this year for an electrical fire risk involving the power liftgate. Over a million older Grand Cherokee models were recalled twice in 2015, for increased fire risk problems. This does nothing to help get rid of the old stereotype about Italians and bad car electrics.
After gathering almost 500 complaints and after Fiat Chrysler Automobiles made available to the NHTSA nearly 17,000 warranty claims related to the issue, the agency has decided to take more serious measures and moved one step closer to issuing a formal recall demand.
The electrical fault involves the clockspring wiring and may lead to the driver-side airbag not deploying. Six of the complaints allege that the airbag did not, in fact, deploy on impact, as it was supposed to. One report claims that injuries were sustained as a direct result of the airbag's failure to deploy.
There are, however, warranty claims relating to the clockspring wiring that did not involve or affect airbag operation. But even the possibility of the wiring problem leading to airbag failure is, needless to say, a pretty big thing.
FCA are treating it as such, promising full cooperation and urging people to contact their dealers if they see the airbag warning light turn on. In addition to the 500 or so complaints filed with the NHTSA, over 1,700 further consumer complaints, field reports and legal claims have been identified by Fiat Chrysler as relating to the electrical problem.
FCA have already recalled around 10,000 2008-2012 Jeep Wranglers over the issue, and provided extended warranty coverage for 2007 models. All of the recalls involve right-hand models and were made in the aftermath of a 2011 investigation.
Moreover, 164,000 2014 and 2015 Jeep Cherokees were recalled by Fiat Chrysler this year for an electrical fire risk involving the power liftgate. Over a million older Grand Cherokee models were recalled twice in 2015, for increased fire risk problems. This does nothing to help get rid of the old stereotype about Italians and bad car electrics.
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