Auburn Hills, Mich. – Sept. 26, 2017 – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has recalled more than 22,000 vehicles potentially equipped with noncompliant tire and rim labels, according to documentation submitted to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The campaign affects 2017-2018 Jeep Cherokee sport utility vehicles with production dates ranging from Feb. 27, 2017 to Aug. 10, 2017. The car company suspects that 100 percent of the vehicles referenced in the recall contain the defective labels.
The Defect
Affected vehicles likely have tire and rim labels that fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110, which stipulates that all road-worthy models include labeling showing the “size designation and, if applicable, the type designation of rims (not necessarily those on the vehicle) appropriate for the tire appropriate for use on that vehicle, including the tire installed as original equipment on the vehicle by the vehicle manufacturer,” according to the Government Publishing Office. The vehicles named in the recall feature wheels and tires that do not contain the proper information, which may lead to the installation of noncompliant tires or wheels, and therefore increase the likelihood of an accident.
However, FCA has yet to receive field reports linking the defect to any accidents or injuries.
Timeline of Events
On Aug. 10, 2017, the FCA Vehicle Safety and Regulatory Compliance group received an internal report from the Information and Communication Technology division indicating that some 2017-2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles originating from the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Illinois had rolled off the line with tire and wheel labels meant for passenger cars, rather than multipurpose models. Officials from the FCA VSRC group immediately reached out to the Quality Center Manager at the BVAP facility, who confirmed the existence of the issue and attributed it to a printing error. QA personnel at the plant instituted a yard hold to prevent noncompliant vehicles from departing.
On Aug. 24, after reviewing production logs for the BVAP plant and confirming non-compliance with FMVSS 110, the FCA Vehicle Regulations Committee called for a voluntary safety recall.
The Solution
FCA will direct dealers to replace the certification labels in affected vehicles free of charge. The car manufacturer plans to notify both dealers Oct. 20, according to documents filed with the NHTSA. The company will notify owners via first-class mail on or about that same day. Those in need of more immediate assistance leading up to the official recall date can contact Chrysler customer service personnel at (800) 853-1403. Callers should use the internal recall identification code T53. Owners can also reach out directly to the NHTSA via the agency’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.
