Safety is our number one expectation of the cars we
purchase. Unlike vanity plates or white wall tires, safety is a foregone
conclusion. And when our cars become too old to drive safely, it’s time to donate
them to a car donation program like Kars for Kids where they will be safely
refitted or recycled, with the proceeds going to help kids in need.
So it’s kind of a shock when we read about a massive recall
of cars due to safety reasons. We expect new cars to be safe. On the other
hand, most of us know the old saying about “assume.”
Yes. We’re in the midst of yet another recall. This time
it’s Chrysler, recalling some 667,000 vehicles due to passenger safety
restraints that may malfunction as a result of electrical issues. In fact,
Chrysler has two recalls going on for this reason, for different models and faulty
parts.
More Bad News
That’s piling bad news on top of bad news as far as Chrysler
is concerned. Just last month, the car manufacturer had to fight federal safety
officials over a demand to recall 2.7 million Jeep Liberty and Grand Cherokee
SUV’s after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the design
of these vehicles made them vulnerable to catching fire, should they be
rear-ended.
Just in the nick of time, the CEO for Chrysler Group, Sergio
Marchionne, reached a compromise with NHTSA administrator David Strickland in
which “only” 1.56 million vehicles needed to be recalled. The solutions for
remedying the cars were uncomplicated and relatively low-cost. This agreement
between Chrysler and the NHTSA was made over the phone just minutes before a
June 18th deadline for the recall. Had an agreement not been
reached, Chrysler would have been brought before federal court.
Updated Recall List
Here is a list of Chrysler vehicles currently under recall:
The smallest recall involves 224,254 2013 Chrysler Town
& Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram C/V Tradesman minivans produced May
10, 2012-June 7, 2013. A possible electricity polarity issue might result in airbags
inflating on the wrong side of the vehicle should there be a side crash. In
other words, if the van is hit on the left side, the right-hand air bag would
inflate, and vice versa. The issue here
is that the occupants taking most of the impact during the crash would be left
unprotected. In addition, as the airbags deploy on the other side of the
vehicle, this may serve to push the occupants on that side of the vehicle
toward the site of impact. Dealers can reprogram the airbag systems of these
cars for a free and easy fix, once the recall begins in August.
A recall involving 442,481 cars is due to the 2011 natural
disasters in Japan which resulted in interruptions for car supplies and
components, leaving a possibility of faulty microcontrollers in these cars. These
microcontrollers may stop active head restraints on front seats from yielding
slightly forward during a rear crash which is meant to minimize the possibility
of the occupants sustaining whiplash during a car accident. Starting in August,
car dealers will, free of charge, either reprogram control systems or replace
control models, depending on what is needed.
Here are the affected cars:
2011-2013 Chrysler Sebring and Chrysler 200 vehicles
manufactured June 28, 2011-December 13, 2012.
2011-2013 Dodge Avenger cars created June 25, 2011-January
14, 2013.
2011-2012 Dodge Nitro SUVs made June 17, 2011- December 15,
2011.
2011-2012 Jeep Liberty SUVs produced June 17, 2011- August
15, 2012.
