Auburn Hills, Mich. — March 7, 2017 — Fiat Chrysler Automotive, also known as FCA or Chrysler, is recalling vehicles for possible tire pressure detection concerns. As the Recall Safety Report said, all of the approximately 278 vehicles involved in the action are believed to have this problem, which are 2017 Fiat 500X models.
The Defect:
The problem springs from a possible lack of compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 138, which covers tire pressure monitoring systems. Vehicles under this recall could potentially fail to trigger their warning light for tires with low pressure. With no clear way to tell if a tire is underinflated, the driver and passengers could face a risk of crash while driving.
Timeline of Events:
- December, 2016: Production on the affected models began on Dec. 15.
- February, 2017: The latest production date for these models was Feb. 20. This was also the month where component manufacturer Magneti Marelli Electronics reported the noncompliance issue before FCA US Italy S.p.A agreed to conduct a voluntary recall.
- March, 2017: The newly developed software needed for the fix was put into production, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report could be submitted.
The Resolution:
The aforementioned software should be enough to fix this issue, the source said, as FCA US plans to reimburse owners affected by these problems. The report said that both dealers and owner notification should begin “on or about” April 21, 2017. The FCA Customer Services Field Operations did send out a notice about the recall on March 10 in addition to the official NHTSA recall.
Though not directly related, a similar Hyundai recall also addressed problems with the tire pressure sensor system. In that case, the fault was in the external sensor itself, not the internal warning signal.
