FCA US is recalling more than 441,000 2011-2015 Dodge Charger vehicles built with an original equipment spare tire. Also affected by the campaign are an estimated 19,229 cars in Canada; 4,969 in Mexico and 38,947 outside the NAFTA region.
In a NHTSA filing about the safety defect, FCA said some of the above vehicles may have a spare tire jack that could bend the body-side sill assembly during jack operation if wheel chocks are not used. No similar damage was detected on Dodge Challenger or Chrysler 300 vehicles built off the same architecture.“Bending of the body-side sill during spare tire jack use may cause the vehicle to become unstable,” FCA told NHTSA. FCA said it is aware of three hand injuries potentially related to this issue.
FCA US will ultimately provide all involved vehicle owners with approved wheel chocks later this year.
Statement by FCA US: FCA continues to refine its recall processes and procedures. To identify potential defects and respond in a timely fashion, the Company has more than doubled the complement of professionals assigned to its vehicle-safety organization. Further, this week marks the roll out of “Recall Central,” a new Internet portal that consolidates campaign information so dealers may better assist customers – a key link in the recall-completion chain. FCA US is working with NHTSA and the industry to increase recall completion rates by encouraging customers to heed recall notices and improving the customer-service experience.