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.
