Chrysler Group recalls nearly 190,000 SUVs for fuel pump issue, over 70 complaints received

A new challenge is facing The Chrysler Group as they recall nearly 190,000 of their SUV’s from their Jeep Grand Cherokee lineup. The vehicles impacted are from 2011 and involve a faulty fuel-pump that can cause the vehicle to stall without warning, or hesitation.

Safety advocates are already saying that the recall isn’t wide-ranging enough and that the issue at hand could be happening in millions of other Chrysler models.

The expectation is that more recalls will be coming, and they will begin coming more furiously this week – as the markets open in the United States – and consumers really begin to ask more questions, and investigators have more time to dig into the issues surrounding the Chrysler vehicles.

Although it’s far too early to say that we could be looking at another GM crisis, it would be foolish to admit right now that this couldn’t blossom into something significantly larger.

The recall was officially posted Saturday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and it covers some 2011 models. The models included have a 3.6-liter V6 or 5.7-liter V-8 engines. The relay feature in the pump is the part in question that can ultimately fail, and cause the potential disaster.

However, at the end of August – the company was unaware of any crashes, injuries or fatalities due to the recall.

Oddly enough though, this issue has been under investigation since last October, and this is the main reason why so many are contesting the small scope of the recall. According to the Center for Auto Safety, – a non-profit founded by Ralph Nader has said that the same fuel pump control module – which contains the relay – is in 5 million other vehicles.

https://thehoopsnews.com/2014/09/21/1225/general-motors-recalling-221558-impalas-cadillacs-offering-free-repair/

The NHTSA has noted that complaints have been rolling in around the electrical regulation systems in the vehicles since 2007 and that the government and Center for Auto Safety have been receiving hundreds of complaints around this very issue.

The “Totally Integrated Power Module” is located in the recalled vehicles now, because it houses the relay in question – that has been noted to fail – but Chrysler had only begun phasing them out in 2012. This allowed for nearly 5 years to pass as they were continued to be regularly used in a wide-range of vehicles.

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Moving forward car owners and Chrysler advocates alike should keep a very close eye on what future recalls could be coming – as a potential petition looms. Car owners can actually push for a petition that could cause an investigation by the NHTSA – which could possibly lead to greater recalls, and more accountability within the production lines at Chrysler.

About the author

Nitin Agarwal

Nitin has a background in Electrical Engineering and is passionate about the Internet of Things. He covers how connected devices like smart homes, wearables, and industrial IoT are changing our daily lives. Nitin is also a DIY enthusiast and loves to build IoT gadgets.