Consequences of Chrysler Recall Refusal on Jeeps linked to Fire Hazard

Continued from Part 1. If Chrysler sticks by its dubious assertion of vehicle safety and refuses the recall, the NHTSA will issue a final decision finding the Jeeps defective, and issue press releases and other notices publicizing the defects. The agency could also fine Chrysler for failing to provide relevant data or being slow to recall defective vehicles.

The Pearland, TX auto recall attorneys at Denena Points, PC note that the NHTSA can order a recall by an automaker, but it needs a court order to enforce it. And court trials over the potential recalls that result in victory at one level might be reversed by a judge upon appeal to a higher court.

Automaker Recall Refusals are Very Rare

 

Refusals by automakers to comply with NHTSA-requested recalls are rare, particularly after the NHTSA recently fined Toyota the staggering sum of $66 million for failing to timely report problems with its vehicles and for delaying a safety recall. The last recall refusal by Chrysler was in 1996. That’s not a bad refusal record, considering that in the last three years alone, Chrysler has issued 52 recalls. (Sources: Safety Research & Strategies, Inc. at safetyresearch.net; and Tom Krishner and Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto, Associated Press by way of Yahoo News, 6/4/13)

The current NHTSA request to recall the Jeep SUVs, for example, comes in addition to an earlier recall that was issued for about 67,000 2010 Jeep Wranglers for a fire hazard caused by skid plates that were positioned to close to the catalytic converters, allowing them skid plates to accumulate oil and debris and then ignite. And our Pearland, TX auto recall attorneys remind you of another Jeep recall of almost 500,000 vehicles due to a potentially deadly rollaway hazard.

To Recall or not to Recall: The Potential Costs

Chrysler’s reluctant to issue the recall is somewhat understandable from the standpoint of its corporate bottom line. Retrofitting the older model Jeeps, all 2.7 million of them, could cost into the hundreds of millions of dollars. On the other hand, our Pearland, TX auto recall attorneys emphasize that failure to recall and retrofit the vehicles could lead to additional financial liabilities in the event of further deadly rear-impact crashes linked to the flaws fuel system architecture.

Ultimately a sensible corporate decision would be to recall the vehicles in the interests of your safety. Even without the NHTSA press releases that would accompany the final decision finding the Jeeps defective, there is already a great deal of negative publicity out there regarding the potential deadly fire hazard in the affected Jeep vehicles. The problem is widely known. So our Pearland, TX auto recall attorneys urge Chrysler to take the high road, concern itself with customer safety, and recall and fix the hazardous Jeep fuel systems.

CONTACT US TO REPORT YOUR INJURY FROM A DEFECTIVE JEEP

If you or your loved ones were harmed because of a Jeep design flaw, we could ensure that your information reaches the proper federal auto safety watchdog agencies. And we could help you obtain the full financial recovery your deserve after a needless injury due to a vehicle defect.

Call us direct at 281-369-4363 or reach us through our online contact form to obtain a free, no obligation legal consultation to evaluate your potential eligibility for a full financial recovery for the harm you’ve suffered. Let us help you recover.