There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters.
We try to boil down it to the most important bits and pieces -- the recalls, service bulletins, and lawsuits that can help you solve you car problems. Interested in getting these quick story bits as an email? Signup over at CarComplaints.com.
Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) says they’ve entered the _ fourth and final stage_ by recalling 1.6 million passenger-side inflators.
The bulk of the vehicles are in the US and include the 2010-2016 Jeep Wrangler.…
keep reading article "FCA Recalls 1.6 Million Takata Inflators in 'Fourth and Final Stage'"The Fiat Chrysler (FCA US) 9-speed transmission class-action includes all consumers who purchased or leased a new 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee, 2015 Jeep Renegade, 2015 Chrysler 200 or 2015 ProMaster City. In addition, the consumer must still own the vehicle and it must have been purchased or leased in the U.S.
Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) agreed to the settlement before the case went to trial, and generally it’s good news. There are a lot of complicated eligibility requirements, however, and David Wood has the full run-down on CarComplaints.com.
keep reading article "9-Speed Transmission Settlement Just Needs the Judge’s Approval"After the accident, FCA mailed out recall notices for a transmission oil cooler tube that was likely to leak and start an underbody fire in the 2012 and 2013 Wrangler.…
keep reading article "Appeals Court Sides with Fiat-Chrysler in Wrangler Wrongful Death Lawsuit"NHTSA says the petitioner provides a laundry list of problems with the frame welds, including problems with weld penetration, areas where the welds dripped or splashed, porous welds and areas of "excessive slag.”
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Before the bracket completely separates from the frame, a driver may hear noise from the front-end and notice the steering wheel is off-center. In addition, a “Service Electronic Stability Control” message may appear and the stability control light will illuminate.
The affected Wranglers are all from the 2018-2019 model years, and built between 05/07/2018 and 08/21/2018 at the Toledo assembly plant.
keep reading article "4th Generation Wrangler Track Bars Weren’t Welded Properly"According to the lawsuit, the EPA found the “principal effect of one or more of these AECDs was to bypass, defeat, or render inoperative one or more elements of design installed to comply with emissions standards under the Clean Air Act.
So much for that eco part, huh?…
keep reading article "Is the EcoDiesel Engine Illegal? This Lawsuit Thinks So And Wants Reimbursement for Owners Who Paid a Premium"Accelerating through the first 3-gears is a particular adventure. Getting to 40mph can feel like you’re playing an overly aggressive game of red-light-green-light with a toddler.…
keep reading article "Class-Action Lawsuit Wants Fiat-Chrysler to Take Responsibility for the Cherokee’s 9-Speed Transmission"Engineers found the Wranglers have incomplete long seam welds that can cause a split, and combined with high steering wheel torque, the steering wheel will lose center positioning.…
keep reading article "Steering Shaft Welding Problem Can Cause a Loss of Control"There is an industry-wide spike in recalls for the dangerous inflators and as part of that, Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) is recalling 317,000 vehicles.…
keep reading article "More Wranglers Included in the Latest Round of Takata Recalls"In one corner you have owners saying they wouldn’t have bought the vehicles if they knew about the vulnerabilities. In the other corner you have FCA saying 1) well, you did 2) you’ve never been hacked 3) we patched those vulnerabilities and 4) you keep driving your car anyway.…
keep reading article "Should the FCA Hacking Lawsuit Be Tossed Out?"The best way to find out what's wrong with a vehicle is from the people who drive them. Not only do owner complaints help us rank vehicles by reliability, but they're often used to spark class-action lawsuits and warranty extensions. Plus, they're a great way to vent.