Chrysler Expands Recall To Include 467k SUVs

Yesterday Chrysler revealed plans to recall about 26,000 Chrysler 200 sedans over a fairly serious problem with their transmissions, and now it has announced plans to expand a recall from last year, adding about 467k SUVs to the number of potentially faulty vehicles. This follows a previous recall that took place in September for the same stalling problem (which has now been linked to the fuel pump relay); about 189k SUVs were recalled then, and with this latest recall, the total number jumps to in excess of 656,000 cars.

This current recall is for 2012 – 2013 Dodge Durango SUVs and the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, all of them located in North America. The previous recall upon which this one builds concerned older Cherokees and Durangos. All of them involve a stalling problem, which has been linked to the aforementioned faulty relay.

As with other recalls, Chrysler will be notifying owners of the affected vehicles, after which point those owners can go to their local dealership to get the part serviced. Dealers will replace the relay circuit to fix the problem. The cause of the malfunction can be attributed to more than one thing, including "vehicle use patterns".

This is one of the year's biggest automotive recalls so far, but one group thinks it isn't big enough. The Center for Auto Safety says that some other Chrysler cars feature the same hardware that has malfunctioned in the Jeeps and Durangos, and that they should likewise be investigated and possibly recalled.

SOURCE: Seattle Pi