Fiat Chrysler Answers NHTSA Recall Questions
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Monday said it has responded to detailed demands from federal auto safety regulators who want information about 20 recalls covering more than 10 million vehicles since 2013, reports The Detroit News. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said last month it was ordering Fiat Chrysler to attend a July 2 ... Read More »
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Monday said it has responded to detailed demands from federal auto safety regulators who want information about 20 recalls covering more than 10 million vehicles since 2013, reports The Detroit News.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said last month it was ordering Fiat Chrysler to attend a July 2 hearing to explain its handling of auto safety recalls in an unprecedented public hearing. It gave the company until 5 p.m. Monday to respond to questions.
Since the demand for information, Fiat Chrysler has taken a more conciliatory tone with NHTSA.
“FCA US LLC has responded to NHTSA’s special order. We take seriously the safety and satisfaction of our customers and remain committed to continuously improving our products. FCA US strives in all cases to complete full investigations, develop robust remedies and execute recalls in a timely manner, as evidenced by our campaign completion rates,” the company said in a statement. “However, we continue to be open to additional measures that would further improve our performance.”
The 12-page order demanded all reports of fires, crashes and deaths; repair bulletins sent to dealers; and all lawsuits related to recalls.
Fiat Chrysler also had to provide a sworn statement under oath from a senior official attesting that a search for all documents had been made. It had to describe in detail what it has done to get as many recall repairs completed as possible. The company declined to make the document public, saying it was up to NHTSA.
The highly unusual action came after NHTSA has raised sweeping concerns about Fiat Chrysler’s conduct in auto safety issues, saying it has failed to recall enough vehicles, send notices to owners fast enough or ensure that dealers repair enough vehicles.
Last month, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said the firm wanted to work more closely with NHTSA.
The public hearing, at which the government and Fiat Chrysler can call witnesses, is the first for the auto safety agency since 2012, when it demanded that a small manufacturer of three-wheel vehicles fix its products. And it is the first ever to focus on a series of recalls by one automaker. Marchionne will not testify, he said last month.
After the hearing, NHTSA could order actions to speed fixes or force the automaker to buy back vehicles believed to be unsafe. It also could hand down tens of millions of dollars in fines. But Fiat Chrysler could appeal, and the agency would have to go to federal court to compel it to take action.
Fiat Chrysler could face harsh scrutiny and painful testimony. NHTSA is likely to call investigators to testify about problems in the 20 recall campaigns. Members of the public are likely to testify and could bring graphic photos of loved ones killed in crashes; they also will be able to submit written testimony.
It marks the latest battle between NHTSA and Fiat Chrysler over the last two years. Conflicts date to the government’s demand for the recall of 2.7 million Jeeps linked to more than 50 deaths due to gas tank fires that have occurred when SUVs are hit from behind. In recent months, the agency has questioned a growing number of Fiat Chrysler actions.
More Industry

Pennsylvania Dealership Under New Retailers
The sale of the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store puts a family auto group on a leaner path as first-time dealers take the helm.
Read More →
Battery Storage Takes Priority Over EVs
U.S. automakers are prioritizing battery energy stationary storage over electric-vehicle production as the consumer demand for EVs lags the rest of the world.
Read More →
Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great
A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.
Read More →
New-Vehicle Sales Picture Relative
A May forecast is complicated by last spring’s trade tariff effects on auto retail. Despite continued hard realities, many consumers took advantage of ways to bite the bullet.
Read More →
Auto Group Acquires Third Nissan Rooftop
Iowa-based Coleman Automotive Group recently acquired its seventh dealership, McGrath Nissan, which it renamed Nissan of Elgin.
Read More →
April Less Affordable
Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.
Read More →
Building an Extraordinary F&I Agency
Work to determine your specialized talent, because that fact will determine everything about your agency’s future.
Read More →
Recipe for Compliance
The secret to both amazing barbecue and compliance is the same: understanding the basics and committing to a process.
Read More →
EVs Getting More Attractive
A growing percentage of U.S. consumers are open to switching and fewer are adverse to the idea, according to a recently completed survey. That’s despite the end of a tax break.
Read More →
EV Sales Drop in April Following Surge
North American electric-vehicle sales were down 28% year-over-year, a sharp contrast from global EV sales growth of 6%.
Read More →