Chrysler Pledges to Speed up Jeep Recall Fix
Chrysler is promising to step up its efforts in repairing 1.6-million Jeep SUVs that have been recalled.
Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) criticized the American automaker for acting too slowly in repairing the recalled Jeep vehicles in a letter sent to Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne. Chrysler has now responded saying that it is also not satisfied with the repair rates and that it will take steps to ensure that dealers are aware there are 430,000 trailer hitch assembly parts available to use for repairs. Of those, only 50,000 are in dealer stock.
SEE ALSO: NHTSA Tells Chrysler to Speed Up Jeep Recall Fix
According to Chrysler, all dealers will have at least a dozen repair kits in stock by today. In total, dealers have serviced 13.2 percent of the 852,000 recalled 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty models as well as 3.5 percent of the 746,000 recalled 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs. The American automaker will also put forth efforts to convince owners that the recall is important, buying advertisement on Facebook and launching a public service message starting January 5.
The issue with the recalled Jeeps is vulnerability of the gas tank in rear-end collisions. The fix devised by Chrysler is the installation of a trailer hitch to protect the back end of the vehicles.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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