Chrysler Recalls 600,000 Jeep SUVs for Safety Defects

AutoInformed.com

The Jeep oil cooler line is a simple mechanical interference issue. The airbag computer programing is a more complex safety defect.

Only days after Chrysler Group refused a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration request for recalls on 2.7 million Jeep models because of allegedly unsafe fuel systems, the company is initiating safety recalls on defective Jeep airbag modules and transmission oil cooler lines.

All told, almost 600,000 2012-2013 Jeep Wrangler, and 2010-2012 Jeep Patriot and Compass SUVs are affected by the potential safety defects.

The oil cooler line appears to be a simple mechanical interference issue that is fixed by a redesigned power-steering return line that provides separation from an aluminum transmission oil cooler line. If the line shows no sign of damage, a protective sleeve will be added. The potential transmission failure problem was discovered during internal durability testing. Chrysler Group said it is unaware of any accidents or injuries associated with either safety defect.

The airbag computer problem is more complex and has been under investigation by Chrysler since June of 2012 when it was informed by TRW that a software error existed in 2010-2012 Jeep Compass and Patriot Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) modules. During a rollover with airbag deployment, the software can cause delayed deployment or non-deployment of the side curtain airbag and/or seatbelt pre-tensioners. As a result, vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury in a crash.

Attempts to reprogram the defective modules at dealerships were unsuccessful in some cases when the new software wouldn’t transfer to the computer. Chrysler said that it has now resolved the problem and is instituting a recall. It appears that Chrysler was trying to  avoid a safety recall by attempting a field service action instead but with it under intense NHTSA scrutiny a recall is the better option.

Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov.

About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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