2005 Chrysler 300 Touring on 2040-cars

Auto blog

NHTSA questions FCA's reaction to recalls, will hold public hearing

The US Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are holding a public hearing on July 2 to investigate whether FCA US is failing to fix safety problems and issue necessary notices. The agencies also want detailed accounts of the handling of 20 recalls by June 1 as part of a special order. If the Feds determine that the automaker isn't living up to its legal requirements, the result could go as far as a "buy-back or replacement of affected vehicles." "Significant questions have been raised as to whether this company is meeting its obligations to protect the drivers from safety defects, and today we are launching a process to ensure that those obligations are met," NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind said in the announcement of the hearing. The 20 recalls that the agencies are investigating date from between 2013 and 2015. Just some of these include the action to make the fuel tanks safer on the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty; FCA US' Takata inflator repairs; inadvertently deploying airbags in the Liberty, Grand Cherokee and Dodge Viper; and the company's ignition switch fix for the Chrysler Town & Country, Grand Caravan and Journey. Failure to submit reports about all of these on time could result in a $7,000 per day fine. You can read the whole list in the PDF for the special order. In a statement to Autoblog, FCA US said, "The average completion rate for FCA US LLC recalls exceeds the industry average and all FCA US campaigns are conducted in consultation with NHTSA. The Company will cooperate fully." The government agencies claim that they have received complaints from customers alleging that they weren't notified of recalls; parts not being available; difficulty getting an appointment, and misinformation from dealers. During the hearing witnesses from FCA US, NHTSA and the public have the opportunity to present evidence on each campaign. U.S. DOT Announces Fiat Chrysler Public Hearing and Issues Special Order NHTSA has concerns about 20 recalls and sets public hearing date for July 2 WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced that the Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will hold a public hearing to determine whether automaker Fiat Chrysler has failed to remedy safety defects and issue required notices in 20 recalls.

Fiat Chrysler will pay $70M to settle safety disclosure suit

FCA US will pay a $70 million civil penalty to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for failing to submit Early Warning Report data going back to 2003. The automaker will also provide any missing data since that time, and an auditor will monitor future compliance. NHTSA says the failures to report this information "stem from problems in FCA's electronic system for monitoring and reporting safety data, including improper coding and failure to account for changes in brand names." There are no allegations of any intentional deception by the automaker. NHTSA will wrap up the latest fine with the previous consent order against FCA US earlier this year for the automaker's handling of 23 recalls. The company will know owe the safety regulator a total of $140 million in cash, and there will be possibility of $35 million more in deferred penalties if FCA doesn't comply with the agency's requests. In a statement about the fine to Autoblog, FCA US said the automaker "accepts these penalties and is revising its processes to ensure regulatory compliance." The company strongly believes that it didn't miss any safety problems over the time with this problem. Early Warning Reports include information on deaths, injuries, crashes, and other potential safety concerns, and NHTSA often uses the data in investigations for possible recalls. In September, the safety agency first announced the automaker failed to submit these documents. At the time, the regulator's administrator Mark Rosekind promised to "take appropriate action after gathering additional information on the scope and causes of this failure." FCA US also released a statement then about the lapse and said the company notified NHTSA immediately after discovering the problem. FCA US is not the first company to run afoul of NHTSA's reporting requirement. The agency fined Triumph Motorcycles and Honda this year for similar lapses. It also punished Ferrari in 2014. U.S. DOT Fines Fiat Chrysler $70 million for Failure to Provide Early Warning Report Data to NHTSA WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has imposed a $70 million civil penalty on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) for the auto manufacturer's failure to report legally required safety data. The penalty follows FCA's admission in September that it had failed, over several years, to provide Early Warning Report data to NHTSA as required by the TREAD Act of 2000.

2020 Chrysler Voyager priced at $28,480

CarsDirect got eyes on early order guides for the 2020 Chrysler Voyager, revealing the minivan's MSRP in base L trim as $26,985 before a $1,495 destination charge, for a total of $28,480. The only other trim available to the public, the Voyager LX, rings up at $31,290. That means that not only will the Voyager L and LX replace the Pacifica L and LX trims, the Voyager will start out $250 cheaper than the 2019 Pacifica models before incentives. The Voyager LXi, reserved for fleet customers, charges $34,490, which is $500 less than the Pacifica Touring trim. The figures make the Voyager L $215 less expensive than the Kia Sedona, $3,205 less than the Honda Odyssey, and $4,430 less than the Toyota Sienna. The closest price competitor sits on the other side of the dealership, that being the Dodge Grand Caravan SE priced just $65 above the Voyager L. With Chrysler becoming the people-mover brand, many expect the Voyager to replace the hoary Grand Caravan, so buyers shouldn't need to suffer analysis paralysis for too long. We still aren't sure why Chrysler needed to create a new model to replace trim levels, but perhaps it was to break buyer perception that the Grand Caravan was the first and last stop for an inexpensive minivan. Transaction prices are so high on Pacificas — and frankly, the Pacifica looks so nice — that casual shoppers might have thought why bother investigating the Chrysler. Chrysler worked to keep things financially frugal on the Voyager by omitting splashier options from the menu. Infotainment begins and ends with the seven-inch Uconnect touchscreen, the larger 8.4-inch screen forbidden. Driver assistance tech will be limited to the cost-extra rear park assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic detection; items like adaptive cruise control and autonomous braking aren't offered. And only the fleet model gets ritzy treats like leatherette seats, second-row Stow 'n Go chairs, and remote start. The LX only goes so far as second-row quad seats and in-floor storage bins. Yet with the same sheetmetal and the same 287-horsepower Pentastar V6 and nine-speed transmission under the hood, only the black door handles and badging will give Voyager owners away, and they can always buy one in black to help the illusion along.