US government investigates Stellantis on back of fatality

US government investigates Stellantis on back of fatality

September 4, 2024 Bojan Popic

Washington, D.C. – September 4, 2024 – The U.S. government auto safety regulator is investigating Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) amid allegations that some Dodge vehicles could trap occupants inside. 

The investigation comes on the back of a fatality and could lead to a recall of roughly one million cars. 

The following models would be affected:

  • 2009 – 2020 Dodge Journey
  • 2009 – 2010 Dodge Journey AWD 

Investigation summary  

The regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), opened a preliminary investigation in May 2023, citing a fatal accident in which the occupant could not get out of a 2009 Dodge Journey that caught fire.  

During the investigation, NHTSA found additional complaints about faulty doors and windows and upgraded the inquiry to the so-called engineering analysis on August 1, 2024. The upgrade means that NHTSA will dig deeper to find out what the cause of the issue is and whether a recall is warranted.

“Fire consuming the entire vehicle”

The incident that sparked the original investigation took place in 2022 when the driver pulled over because of all “the warning lights… flashing.” The driver eventually passed after a fire engulfed the car.

Other complaints describe similarly horrifying situations. One driver had to crawl out of the vehicle through the window while others described seemingly unprovoked shutdowns of the “entire electrical system” while the car was “in motion and/or parked.” 

Culprit

The culprit appears to be the “failure of the totally integrated power module (TIPM),” which is in charge of distributing electrical power to various parts of the vehicle. However, in at least one of the cases the driver continued to have issues after replacing the TIPM twice.

Risks

Not being able to open the doors or windows, the occupants will have trouble escaping the burning vehicle, which significantly ups the chances of injury and death.  

Other Dodge recalls

In June 2024, Dodge recalled over 200,000 Durango SUVs and RAM trucks because of reduced control, as reported.

In March 2024, over 36,000 Dodge Hornets and Alfa Romeo cars were recalled because they had incorrect weight capacity labels, also as reported.

Is your vehicle part of a recall?

This investigation could lead to a Dodge doors recall, potentially affecting nearly a million vehicles. To do a Dodge recall check and see if your vehicle might be a part of it, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicUS government investigates Stellantis on back of fatality
Stellantis recalls Dodge Durango SUVs and RAMs over reduced control

Stellantis recalls Dodge Durango SUVs and RAMs over reduced control 

June 28, 2024 Bojan Popic ,

Auburn Hills, MI – June 28, 2024 – Stellantis (NYSE:STLA), which owns the Dodge brand, is recalling 211,581 SUVs and pickup trucks whose drivers’ ability to control the car may be limited. The defect augments the risk of loss of control and a crash.

The following vehicles are affected:   

  • 2022 Dodge Durango
  • 2022 RAM 2500
  • 2022 RAM 3500

Recall summary

The Electronic Stability Control system (ESC) is an extension of the anti-lock brakes (ABS) system whose job is to apply brakes to one or more wheels to keep the vehicle on track in slippery conditions or during sudden maneuvers.

Due to a software error, the ABS module may disable the ESC.

Recall risks

With the ESC out of order, the vehicle will be more difficult to control and stop during critical situations, which ups the chances of a crash and injury. 

Warning signs

The defect could trigger a corresponding warning light on the dashboard.  

Safety tips

While driving with a malfunctioning ESC is possible, you should adjust your speed and steering inputs accordingly.  

Other Stellantis recalls

Some of these RAM trucks may have been affected by rearview camera issues, which led to a recall in October 2023. 

Durango owners should be aware of a Dodge recall from March 2023 caused by rear spoilers that could separate from the vehicle while driving. 

The repair

Dealers will update the ABS control module free of charge. 

The owners should receive notifications on July 26, 2024. 

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

More than 210,000 SUVs and pickup trucks are affected by this Dodge ESC recall. To do a Dodge recall check and see if yours is one of them, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicStellantis recalls Dodge Durango SUVs and RAMs over reduced control 
Stellantis recalls Alfa Romeo and Dodge Hornet SUVs over incorrect weight labels

Stellantis recalls Alfa Romeo and Dodge Hornet SUVs over incorrect weight labels 

March 28, 2024 Joseph Estabillo ,

Auburn Hills, MI  – March 28, 2024 – Stellantis (NYSE:STLA), which owns Dodge and Alfa Romeo brands, is recalling 36,093 SUVs over an error in the vehicles’ weight capacity labels. The defect ups the risk of an accident.

The recall covers the following vehicles: 

  • 2023 – 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale
  • 2023 – 2024 Dodge Hornet

Recall summary  

A tire placard indicates the vehicle’s maximum weight capacity, guiding users on how many passengers and how much cargo the vehicle can safely carry.

An incorrect tire placard placed on the affected vehicles may mislead owners into thinking that the vehicle can carry much heavier loads than intended, which could lead to overloading. 

Recall risks

All risks concerning improper load labels are explained in this report about a similar recall by Ford.  

Other Stellantis recalls

Earlier this month, Stellantis recalled close to 200,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler SUVs with faulty windshield defrosting systems, as reported.

Jeep Wrangler SUVs were also the culprit of another recall in December 2023, due to fires that could occur with the ignition off, also as reported.

The repair

Dealers will cover the inaccurate tire placards with updated labels free of charge.

Owners should receive letters with more information on April 24, 2024. 

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

Over 36,000 SUVs are affected by this Stellantis tire label recall. To do a Stellantis recall check and see if yours is one of them, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Joseph EstabilloStellantis recalls Alfa Romeo and Dodge Hornet SUVs over incorrect weight labels 
Stellantis latest recalls affect over 1.1 million cars

Stellantis latest recalls affect over 1.1 million cars

October 17, 2022 Bojan Popic , , ,

Washington, D.C. – October 17, 2022 – Stellantis (NYSE:STLA), which owns Chrysler, Dodge, Jee, and RAM brands, has racked up nine recalls in the past six months. In total, more than 1.1 million vehicles have been affected by this. Besides, the recalls, the company is subject to two ongoing investigations by the U.S. government auto safety regulator, which could lead to recalls of additional 1.5 million vehicles.

Read on to see if your vehicle is affected. 

Roll-away SUVs

In March, some Jeep and Dodge SUVs were recalled because they could shift out of Park even when the brake was not applied. This was caused by a faulty ABS unit.  Approximately a quarter of a million vehicles were affected by these Stellantis rollaway issues, including: 

  • 2018 – 2019 Dodge Durango
  • 2018 – 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Trucks with malfunctioning ESC

That same month,  Stellantis also recalled a large batch of RAM trucks and Dodge SUVs over a software issue within the ABS. This might prevent the warning light on the dashboard from illuminating if the car’s electronic stability control (ESC) malfunctions. In total, 370,437 cars had to be recalled because of this, including: 

  • 2019 – 2022 RAM 2500 
  • 2019 – 2022 RAM 3500
  • 2021 – 2022 Dodge Durango 

As of July 25 – the last date for which information is available – roughly half of the vehicles involved still needed to be repaired. To see if your car is affected, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool. 

SUVs with unsecured child car seats

Certain 2021 – 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L SUVs were recalled in April because of an issue with child-seat anchorage points on second-row seats. As a result, the child seat could be inadequately secured during a collision, increasing the risk of injury. In total, 4,586 were affected. 

As of July 25 – the last date for which information is available – 2,746 vehicles involved still needed to be repaired. To see if your car is affected, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool. 

Tire failure risk recall

An issue with the built-in tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) which may keep the system from detecting low tire pressure led to a Stellantis recall that took place in June 2022.

In total, 52,340 cars were affected by this issue, including: 

  • 2022 Chrysler 300
  • 2022 Dodge Challenger
  • 2022 Dodge Charger

Stalling vehicles with diesel engines  

One the heels of the tire pressure recall, over 138,000 Jeep and RAM vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines were recalled over concerns they may stall while driving. The problem was caused by a high-pressure fuel pump, which delivers fuel to the engine.

These Stellantis engine issues affected the following models: 

  • 2014 – 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee 
  • 2014 – 2019 RAM 1500  

Malfunctioning rearview cameras

In June, almost 120,000 RAM pickup trucks were recalled because of a software issue that would prevent the rearview image from being displayed.

The following vehicles were affected: 

  • 2022 RAM 1500 
  • 2022 RAM 2500 
  • 2022 RAM 3500 

More recently, in September, Jeep recalled some of its models over a similar software error. This recall affected 7,895 vehicles, including: 

  • 2020 – 2021 Jeep Wrangler 
  • 2020 – 2021 RAM 1500 
  • 2021 Jeep Gladiator 

Issues with lights 

Two separate light issues led to two Stellantis light recalls that affected over 180,000 cars.

In August, a substantial number of Jeep SUVs were recalled because their tail light side markers were damaged and dimmed. In total, 99,186 vehicles were affected by this recall, including: 

  • 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  • 2021 – 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Earlier this month, Stellantis recalled more than 80,000 of their 2017 – 2018 Dodge Journey crossover SUVs. These vehicles were equipped with headlights that turned out to be defective and not bright enough. 

Active investigations

Besides the recalls, the U.S government auto safety regulator, the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA) is conducting two separate investigations concerning Stellantis vehicles. 

In one of them, the regulator is trying to find out if the alleged stalling of Chrysler’s PHEV minivans is caused by a manufacturer error. If this results in a recall, it may affect more than 20,000 of the following vehicles: 

  • 2019 – 2021 Chrysler Pacifica  
  • 2019 – 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

Earlier model-years of the hybrid were recalled in February 2022 over Stellantis fire risk. 

The other investigation is caused by complaints from Jeep SUV owners regarding unintentional handbrake activating. According to their claims, this would happen even while driving, increasing the risk of a crash and injury. The regulator is checking if this may be caused by water leaks, similar to a recall from 2015. This investigation could lead to a recall, potentially affecting an estimated 1.34 million 2014-2020 Jeep Cherokee SUVs. 

Is your vehicle part of a recall?

At this moment, Stellantis recalls have affected roughly 1.1 million cars in the past six months. To do a Stellantis recall check and see if yours is affected by any of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool. 

Bojan PopicStellantis latest recalls affect over 1.1 million cars
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