As of April 1st, Chrysler announced a recall that will affect nearly 870,000 of its SUVs due to a corrosion issue with the vehicle’s brakes. Brake components may corrode excessively and prematurely, making the vehicles’ brakes much harder to use and potentially leading to car accidents.
Chrysler vehicles affected by the recall include the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs from the 2011 through 2014 model years. According to the Detroit automaker, crimp joints in the brake boosters can corrode prematurely if they’re exposed to water. If temperatures drop below freezing, the wet and corroded boosters won’t effectively aid braking force as they usually do.
Chrysler began investigating the issue after some customers registered complaints stating their brakes felt too firm when pressed down. The company claims to know of one reported accident, but no injuries, in connection with the defect.
To remedy the issue, dealers will install a shield to protect the boosters for free and replace boosters that aren’t working properly. Chrysler has since changed the design to make the boosters more corrosion resistant. Chrysler said it plans to notify owners of the recall, which involves 867,795 vehicles.
Previous Chrysler Recall affected 1.2 million Dodge Ram Pickups
This latest recall is among several others that continue to tarnish Chrysler’s struggling brand image. Earlier this year, Chrysler announced a major recall affecting nearly 1.2 million Ram trucks. The recall was meant to correct problems that could result in a loss of steering. Chrysler estimated approximately 453,000 trucks would need repairs because the steering systems’ tie rods were not aligned properly, though it said it needed to recall all 1.2 million trucks in order to properly identify the flawed vehicles.
Chrysler (Dodge) Ram Pickups – Affected Models and Quantities
- Model: Ram 2500 and 3500 HD (4×2)
Years: 2003 to 2008
Quantities: 842,000 Inspections / 116,000 Actual Repairs
- Model: Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 (Mega Cab 4×4)
Years: 2008 to 2012
Quantities: 294,000 Actual Repairs
- Model: Ram 4500 and 5500 (4×4)
Years: 2008 to 2012
Quantities: 43,500 Actual Repairs
Location Note: Around 968,000 of the recalled vehicles were sold in the United States, approximately 157,000 in Canada, 37,100 are in Mexico and 18,000 were sold elsewhere.
2014 Jeep Cherokee Issues
This latest recall is also not the first to affect its new model year Grand Cherokees. A separate report regarding almost 94,000 of its 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokees was issued due to electronic problems that could disable two safety systems. In November of 2013, Chrysler notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a report on the safety agency’s website of the problems in its 2014 model year Jeep Grand Cherokees.
Chrysler announced it had recognized a software problem with the anti-lock braking module that could disable the anti-lock braking and electronic stability-control systems in the Jeep SUVs. In addition, the defect could cause the “illumination of multiple warning lights” and a loss of lighting for the instrument cluster. Chrysler explained that an investigation began in April following several complaints from owners. Chrysler was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue.
References:
ABC Action News
