FCA recalls over 200k Jeep Cherokees for windshield wiper static
Tue, Sep 1 2015
The problem, according to the first statement below, results from static building up if the wipers are operated in dry conditions. The static could mess with the wipers' control module, rendering them disabled. To fix the problem, dealers will be instructed to install a ground strap to the module.
In parallel, FCA is also offering incentives to the owners of certain trucks that were subject to recall but for which remedies were not immediately available. To encourage those owners to bring their older vehicles in for the required service, the automaker will disperse $100 prepaid cards for use at their discretion. The program is offered to owners of certain model year Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Liberty, Chrysler Aspen, and Dodge Durango sport-utility vehicles, as well as certain Dodge Dakota and Ram trucks.
Owners of the affected Grand Cherokees will have the option instead to take a $1,000 consideration toward the purchase of a new vehicle or for parts and service. The offers are only being extended under certain specific criteria, though. So if you think that could be you, you'll want to read through the conditions in the second announcement below.
STATEMENT: CONTROL MODULE
August 31, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is recalling an estimated 158,671 SUVs in the U.S. to help protect their control modules from static buildup that may potentially disable the vehicles' windshield wipers.
An investigation by FCA US discovered static buildup may occur if the vehicles' windshield wipers are activated during dry conditions. Significant static buildup may affect a control module that powers the wipers.
The Company is unaware of any related injuries or accidents.
Affected are model-year 2014 Jeep Cherokee SUVs. An estimated 18,366 vehicles will be recalled in Canada, as will an estimated 3,582 in Mexico and 26,049 outside the NAFTA region.
Dealers will install a ground strap to the control module to eliminate the potential for static buildup. Customers will be advised when they may schedule service, which will be performed at no cost.
Customers with concerns may call the FCA US Customer Information Center at 1-800-853-1403.
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Completion-Rate Incentives
August 31, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC has begun contacting customers who are eligible for certain recall-completion incentives.
Ranging from $100 prepaid cards to vehicle-repurchase plans, the incentives are designed to boost completion rates for certain ongoing recalls involving older SUVs and model-year 2009-2012 trucks, for which remedies were not immediately available.
"Remedies are available, we are servicing vehicles and we encourage affected customers to contact their dealers," says Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice President – Vehicle Safety and Regulatory Compliance. "It is imperative that all vehicles implicated by recalls are inspected and serviced, as required."
Mailings to incentive-eligible customers affected by NHTSA recall 13V-252 (FCA US N45 and N46) are complete. The offers therein pertain to 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty SUVs that were unremedied as of July 24, 2015.
Information about a vehicle's eligibility may be determined by inputting its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) into the search engines at any of the following sites:
- www.MyJeepAuto.com
- www.recalls.mopar.com
- www.safercar.gov
If its status is "open," it is unremedied and therefore eligible.
A vehicle's VIN can be found at the base of its windshield – on the driver's side – or on the placard affixed to the driver's-side doorjamb. The placard also indicates when the vehicle was assembled.
Owners of the affected Grand Cherokee vehicles may choose one of two options:
- Receive a $100 Visa Prepaid Card for unrestricted use upon completion of recall-related service. (Customers who had their recalls completed on or after July 24, 2015, also are entitled to receive the prepaid card.)
- Trade in the vehicle and receive a $1,000 incentive toward the purchase of a new vehicle, or a $1,000 Visa Prepaid Card usable for parts or service at the FCA US dealership accepting the trade-in.
Owners of the affected Liberty SUVs will, on completion of the recall-related service, receive a $100 Visa Prepaid Card for unrestricted use.
Mailings to eligible customers affected by NHTSA recalls 13V-038, 13V-527 and 13V-529 (FCA US N08, R16 and N49, respectively) began today. The offers therein pertain to the following vehicles, provided they were unremedied as of July 24, 2015:
- 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango SUVs produced from Jan. 3, 2008, through Dec. 18, 2008
- 2009-2012 Dodge Ram/Ram 1500 pickups produced from Feb. 27, 2008, through June 30, 2009; and from Dec. 1, 2009, through Oct. 20, 2011
- 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota pickups produced from Feb. 27, 2007, through June 30, 2009; and from Dec. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2011
- 2008-2012 Dodge Ram/Ram 2500 and 3500 4x4 pickups
- 2008-2012 Dodge Ram/Ram 2500 4x2 Cab Chassis vehicles
- 2008 Dodge Ram/Ram Mega Cab 4x4 pickups
- 2008-2012 Dodge Ram/Ram 4500 and 5500 trucks produced from Feb. 20, 2007, through December 2012
Owners of eligible vehicles from the above list may schedule service and, upon completion, receive a $100 Visa PrePaid Card for unrestricted use. Customers who had their recalls completed on or after July 24, 2015, also are entitled to receive the prepaid card.
Alternately, customers may negotiate trade-ins on new vehicles – a program that expires at midnight, Jan. 4, 2016 – or opt for a repurchase plan that, like the prepaid card incentives, has no expiry date.
Information about a vehicle's eligibility may be determined by inputting its VIN into the search engines at www.recalls.mopar.com or www.safercar.gov. If its status is "open," it is unremedied and therefore eligible.
To take advantage of the trade-in offer, a customer and dealer establish a value for the trade-in vehicle, complete the purchase of a new vehicle and receive – in addition to all current applicable incentives – a $2,000 incentive on a Ram-brand vehicle or $1,000 on a Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge or Fiat vehicle.
To participate in the repurchase program, customers are instructed – beginning Sept. 1, 2015 – to visit www.fcarecall.com. There they will see a preliminary estimated value of their vehicles, according to "good" market value, plus 10%.
Modification costs are excluded unless verification is provided to show the modification was part of the original purchase.
Beginning Oct. 1, 2015, customers may contact dealers to arrange for vehicle inspections. Dealers will then call a third-party administrator to complete the inspection and present a final offer to customers, who then have three options:
- Opt for the recall repair and receive a $100 Visa Prepaid Card for unrestricted use
- Accept the repurchase offer
- Opt for the trade-in incentive, which is available through Jan. 4, 2016
"We are committed to further improving our recall completion rates," Kunselman says. "The added benefit of our efforts, we hope, will be to elevate public awareness of the need to respond to recall notices, and a greater understanding of the recall process, in general."
FCA US has completed its 30-day deliverables under its Consent Order with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In addition to the launch of the incentive programs, these deliverables included the selection of a third-party consultant – Deloitte – to conduct a comprehensive review and evaluation of the Company's existing processes and procedures for compliance with NHTSA regulations and assist in the development of best practices.
August 31, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is recalling an estimated 158,671 SUVs in the U.S. to help protect their control modules from static buildup that may potentially disable the vehicles' windshield wipers.
An investigation by FCA US discovered static buildup may occur if the vehicles' windshield wipers are activated during dry conditions. Significant static buildup may affect a control module that powers the wipers.
The Company is unaware of any related injuries or accidents.
Affected are model-year 2014 Jeep Cherokee SUVs. An estimated 18,366 vehicles will be recalled in Canada, as will an estimated 3,582 in Mexico and 26,049 outside the NAFTA region.
Dealers will install a ground strap to the control module to eliminate the potential for static buildup. Customers will be advised when they may schedule service, which will be performed at no cost.
Customers with concerns may call the FCA US Customer Information Center at 1-800-853-1403.
###
Completion-Rate Incentives
August 31, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC has begun contacting customers who are eligible for certain recall-completion incentives.
Ranging from $100 prepaid cards to vehicle-repurchase plans, the incentives are designed to boost completion rates for certain ongoing recalls involving older SUVs and model-year 2009-2012 trucks, for which remedies were not immediately available.
"Remedies are available, we are servicing vehicles and we encourage affected customers to contact their dealers," says Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice President – Vehicle Safety and Regulatory Compliance. "It is imperative that all vehicles implicated by recalls are inspected and serviced, as required."
Mailings to incentive-eligible customers affected by NHTSA recall 13V-252 (FCA US N45 and N46) are complete. The offers therein pertain to 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty SUVs that were unremedied as of July 24, 2015.
Information about a vehicle's eligibility may be determined by inputting its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) into the search engines at any of the following sites:
- www.MyJeepAuto.com
- www.recalls.mopar.com
- www.safercar.gov
If its status is "open," it is unremedied and therefore eligible.
A vehicle's VIN can be found at the base of its windshield – on the driver's side – or on the placard affixed to the driver's-side doorjamb. The placard also indicates when the vehicle was assembled.
Owners of the affected Grand Cherokee vehicles may choose one of two options:
- Receive a $100 Visa Prepaid Card for unrestricted use upon completion of recall-related service. (Customers who had their recalls completed on or after July 24, 2015, also are entitled to receive the prepaid card.)
- Trade in the vehicle and receive a $1,000 incentive toward the purchase of a new vehicle, or a $1,000 Visa Prepaid Card usable for parts or service at the FCA US dealership accepting the trade-in.
Owners of the affected Liberty SUVs will, on completion of the recall-related service, receive a $100 Visa Prepaid Card for unrestricted use.
Mailings to eligible customers affected by NHTSA recalls 13V-038, 13V-527 and 13V-529 (FCA US N08, R16 and N49, respectively) began today. The offers therein pertain to the following vehicles, provided they were unremedied as of July 24, 2015:
- 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango SUVs produced from Jan. 3, 2008, through Dec. 18, 2008
- 2009-2012 Dodge Ram/Ram 1500 pickups produced from Feb. 27, 2008, through June 30, 2009; and from Dec. 1, 2009, through Oct. 20, 2011
- 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota pickups produced from Feb. 27, 2007, through June 30, 2009; and from Dec. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2011
- 2008-2012 Dodge Ram/Ram 2500 and 3500 4x4 pickups
- 2008-2012 Dodge Ram/Ram 2500 4x2 Cab Chassis vehicles
- 2008 Dodge Ram/Ram Mega Cab 4x4 pickups
- 2008-2012 Dodge Ram/Ram 4500 and 5500 trucks produced from Feb. 20, 2007, through December 2012
Owners of eligible vehicles from the above list may schedule service and, upon completion, receive a $100 Visa PrePaid Card for unrestricted use. Customers who had their recalls completed on or after July 24, 2015, also are entitled to receive the prepaid card.
Alternately, customers may negotiate trade-ins on new vehicles – a program that expires at midnight, Jan. 4, 2016 – or opt for a repurchase plan that, like the prepaid card incentives, has no expiry date.
Information about a vehicle's eligibility may be determined by inputting its VIN into the search engines at www.recalls.mopar.com or www.safercar.gov. If its status is "open," it is unremedied and therefore eligible.
To take advantage of the trade-in offer, a customer and dealer establish a value for the trade-in vehicle, complete the purchase of a new vehicle and receive – in addition to all current applicable incentives – a $2,000 incentive on a Ram-brand vehicle or $1,000 on a Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge or Fiat vehicle.
To participate in the repurchase program, customers are instructed – beginning Sept. 1, 2015 – to visit www.fcarecall.com. There they will see a preliminary estimated value of their vehicles, according to "good" market value, plus 10%.
Modification costs are excluded unless verification is provided to show the modification was part of the original purchase.
Beginning Oct. 1, 2015, customers may contact dealers to arrange for vehicle inspections. Dealers will then call a third-party administrator to complete the inspection and present a final offer to customers, who then have three options:
- Opt for the recall repair and receive a $100 Visa Prepaid Card for unrestricted use
- Accept the repurchase offer
- Opt for the trade-in incentive, which is available through Jan. 4, 2016
"We are committed to further improving our recall completion rates," Kunselman says. "The added benefit of our efforts, we hope, will be to elevate public awareness of the need to respond to recall notices, and a greater understanding of the recall process, in general."
FCA US has completed its 30-day deliverables under its Consent Order with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In addition to the launch of the incentive programs, these deliverables included the selection of a third-party consultant – Deloitte – to conduct a comprehensive review and evaluation of the Company's existing processes and procedures for compliance with NHTSA regulations and assist in the development of best practices.
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