Auburn Hills, Mich. – Nov. 30, 2017 – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has recalled more than 350 vehicles potentially equipped with defective oil pump housings, according to documentation submitted to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The campaign affects 2018 Jeep Compass sport utility vehicles produced on Sept. 11, 2017 and Jeep Cherokee sport utility vehicles produced between Sept. 9, 2017 and Sept. 28, 2017. FCA estimates that just 1 percent of the vehicles referenced in the action possess the defective features.
The Defect
The affected models include 2.4 liter engines that were constructed using cracked oil pump housings that are prone to failure. Should failure occur, the vehicle engine will stall without warning. This poses a serious safety threat to owners as an unexpected stall could result in a collision. That said, FCA has not received any reports connecting the defective feature to accidents or injuries.
Timeline of Events
On Sept. 13, 2017, an oil pump supplier collaborating with FCA notified that company that cracks had been discovered in the housing for multiple oil pumps. Two days later, the FCA Vehicle Safety and Regulatory Compliance committee launched an investigation into the matter, which engineers at assembly plants in Toluca, Mexico and Belvedere, Illinois had independently confirmed via separate Product Related Issue reports.
Throughout September and October, FCA confirmed the existence of the defective components in finished vehicles through production inspections and parts data. On Oct. 5, the automaker finished gathering data and submitted the evidence to the Vehicle Regulations Committee, which decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall Oct. 17. FCA notified dealers Oct. 24.
The Solution
The car manufacturer has directed dealers to inspect and replace the oil pump housing assemblies in affected vehicles free of charge, according to an NHTSA recall acknowledgement document. FCA plans to notify owners on or around Dec. 13. Those in need of more immediate assistance can contact FCA customer service at (800) 853-1403. Callers should use the internal recall identification code T65. Owners can also reach out to the NHTSA directly using its Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.
