Why is Fiat Chrysler Recalling 1.9 Million Vehicles?

It’s been a rough year for auto recalls. A Jeep recall was linked to the death of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin, and the Takata recall expanded to include over 70 million vehicles. The year is almost over, but the recalls are still coming. This time Fiat Chrysler has been called out by safety regulators.

Do You Know Why Fiat Chrysler Is Recalling Your Car?

If you drive a Fiat Chrysler vehicle built between 2010 and 2014, then you need to listen up. Seatbelts and airbags in some Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles may not deploy in the event of a crash. The affected models include the 200, Avenger, Caliber, Compass, Patriot and Sebring. The company also says that 1.9 million vehicles could be affected worldwide.

What Went Wrong with These Cars?

According to the automaker, safety control modules as well as wiring in front impact sensors are defective. These defects can prevent airbags from deploying, and it can keep seatbelt pretensioners from activating. That means if a driver crashes in one of these defective vehicles, there’s a chance neither safety device will deploy.

What Are the Results of Using Defective Safety Devices?

So far three deaths and five injuries have been linked to this recall. Since Chrysler has used these devices in their cars since 2010, there could be more cases we don’t know about yet. However, Chrysler claims it stopped using the defective control modules and wiring after 2014.

Recently, Ford also recalled 4.3 million vehicles for a similar flaw caused by a software defect. This has led many people to speculate over whether the auto industry is truly doing its due diligence when it comes to safety. What do you think? Post your comments below or on Twitter and Facebook. Keep following your Miami auto defect attorneys on this blog for even more recall information you may not have known.