Pleasanton, CA – Aug 14, 2020 – Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (NYSE: FCAU) has recalled 58,016 SUVs and pickup trucks that may stall on the road. The recall includes:
- 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs
- 2014-2018 Ram 1500 pickup trucks
Recall summary
The recall stems from an issue inside these vehicles’ diesel engines. The car uses a magnet-coated wheel to keep the engine in sync. The magnetic material, however, may chip off, causing the engine to get out-of-sync and stall.
Fiat-Chrysler started looking into the issue in March. As of July 31, Chrysler had identified 13 customer complaints (which Fiat-Chrysler calls “CAIRs”), 1,020 warranty claims, and six field reports related to these failing magnetic wheels.
Risks
Stalling in moving traffic can raise the risk of crashes, injuries, or worse. Vehicles may not be able to react in time and could ram a stalled car from behind. Even if the driver safely gets to the shoulder, they are still at risk of being hit.
If your car stalls, turn on the emergency hazard lights. If you can do so safely, try to shift into neutral and maneuver your car to the side of the road. Call your roadside assistance provider and be sure to stay in the car. The shoulder is very dangerous for pedestrians.
The repair
Fiat-Chrysler will offer a free software update that will keep the car from stalling in the case that the magnetic wheel is damaged. Chrysler will notify owners of the recall on October 2. The repair should take less than half a day.
Is your vehicle part of this recall?
Over 58,000 vehicles are part of this Chrysler recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.