The NHTSA, fresh from a proper dressing down, has taken to swiftly kicking FCA US in the junk with cleats on. Some of the punishment is deserved, some of it is a little more questionable, but whatever the case, it’s gonna hurt in the end. In addition to the continuing Jeep Grand Cherokee/Liberty fuel tank recall battle, where FCA is offering $100 gift cards to owners to bring their Jeep in for repairs to the fuel tank, FCA was hit with $105 million in fines for improperly handling 23 recalls and the recent recall of 1.4 million vehicles that have the hackable Uconnect system. FCA is now in a position where they have to present the option of buying back a vehicle that was well overdue for a recall. Here’s the list of buyback eligible vehicles:
Under recall 13V-038, which affects 278,229 vehicles, in which the rear axle pinion nut can loosen, resulting in the rear axle locking up:
- 2009 Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen
- 2009-11 Dodge Dakota
- 2009 Dodge Ram 1500
- 2010-12 Ram 1500
Under recall 13V-529, which affects 265,057 trucks, involves a faulty left tie-rod assembly that can break:
- 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Mega Cab 4×4
- 2008-09 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 4×4
- 2010-12 Ram 3500 Chassis Cab 4×2
Under recall 13V-527, which affects 35,942 trucks, involves a faulty left tie-rod assembly that can break:
- 2008-12 Dodge/Ram 4500 and 5500 series
Here’s how the buyback works: FCA must pay purchase price minus fair depreciation for the vehicles being sold back to the company, with a 10% bonus added for owners of vehicles who hadn’t gotten the repairs completed. That isn’t to give a bonus to lazy owners, but to address issues that stem from owners who tried, unsuccessfully, to get their recalls taken care of and were unable to. FCA will be allowed to repair and resell the vehicles.
As reported by The Detroit Times, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said, “Today’s action holds Fiat Chrysler accountable for its past failures, pushes them to get unsafe vehicles repaired or off the roads and takes concrete steps to keep Americans safer going forward. This civil penalty puts manufacturers on notice that the department will act when they do not take their obligations to repair safety defects seriously.”
This is so wrong. Because of a $30 part they have to buy your truck back. What about all the airbag recalls. Government gone bad!!!!
This is all the vindication I’ve ever needed for preaching the “keep it simple, stupid” mantra all these years. Nobody’s hacking my carburetor any time soon.
Amen brother. Preach on.
Gen 1. Dodge Cummins 250 4×4
Built simple. Built tough.
Still getting better mileage than new stuff.
Oh man, I wish every day that I was running diesel simple!
A 3-wire Cummins engine is about as function-forward as it gets.
“Fair depreciation” Ha! What they are going to pay probably isn’t anywhere near what some of these people owe. Then they are stuck with the balance on the note. I wonder how many people will go thru with this buy back.
Like they say, 78% of all Dodge trucks built since 1977 are still on the road. The rest made it home ok.
Kinda brings back the “Cash for Clunkers” campaign, doesn’t it.
Will they be scrapped? fixed and resold as used? What will this do to the market down the road?
How can they get slapped this hard when gm is in the same boat and gets off free
Great idea – maybe this will be enough to put them totally out of business. That will help the economy.
GM…Government Motors………..
It is a shame the level of government encroachment in our lives.
Dodge must really drag their feet to fix recall cars to get punished like this.
I work in parts at a Chrysler dealership…
The mishandling of these recalls has been very apparent to us for a long time.
I just don’t understand why they jack THEIR customers around on this. There is plenty of parts available out there on some of these recalls, we just can’t get our hands on ’em. Cant even call and beg for them. They make the dealers look bad when we are victims too.
The rears they build suck. I had 2 on ram vans 1 year apart blow up. One I was driving and the pinion gear broke ,driveshaft almost hit the floor and locked up the wheels. The other was still in warranty and went back three times and stlii was not right ever.