Fiat Chrysler Will Have to Pay a Record Fine
It’s been a bad year for automobile manufacturers, and it’s only getting worse. Recalls have been consistently announced throughout the year for an ever escalating number of reasons, and investigations have shown a stunning amount of negligence that has led to these recalls needing to happen. Fiat Chrysler is one of the manufacturers dealing with some of these controversies, and while they’re just the latest ones in the news, they’ve been dealt the biggest blow of any company so far. Fiat Chrysler is expected to be fined $105 million in light of their actions surrounding a number of Jeep recalls. It’s the largest fine ever dealt out by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, besting the $70 million Honda was fined last year as a result of faulty airbags.
Fiat Mishandled Their Jeep Recalls
Fiat Chrysler has been forced to undergo 23 recalls centered around Jeep Grand Cherokees. The recalls involved, in total, about 11 million of these Jeeps. Among those Fiat Chrysler vehicles are 1.5 million Jeeps modeled from 1993 to 2007. Those vehicles desperately needed that recall, as there was a significant issue with the fuel tank. Severe impact to the rear of the vehicle could cause the tank to start leaking, and this had resulted in a loss of steering control, sudden shutdowns of the car, and even fatal fires. And yet, only 500,000 vehicles have been repaired for these issues, according to Fiat Chrysler. The NHTSA have deemed this response to the recalls inadequate.
The NHTSA Has Been On Fiat Chrysler’s Case
Fiat Chrysler’s issues aren’t exactly breaking news. The NHTSA has been extremely dissatisfied with Fiat Chrysler’s response to the necessary recalls, and this month it hit its breaking point. On July 2nd, they began a public hearing on the recall problems; the deadline for public comments at the hearing was July 17th.
Bad Week For Fiat Chrysler Getting Worse
On Friday, Fiat Chrysler had to recall 1.4 million more cars. This recall was a result of technology that could potentially allow hackers to access the vehicle. Presumably they’ll have a better response to this recall so as to avoid more fines.
