If you own a Jeep Wrangler, our Galveston auto defect lawyers realize that you might well remember Chrysler announcing the recall of almost 70,000 of the vehicles from the 2010 model year due to a defect that could cause sudden underbody fires. In China, the government had already convinced Chrysler to recall the Jeep Wrangler from the 2008, 2009, and 2010 model years for that same dangerous Jeep Wrangler defect. And in China, Chrysler replaced a skid plate – exhaust configuration that had been linked to the accumulation of debris in the undercarriage of the vehicle that could then ignite.
But as Safety Research and Strategies Inc. aptly pointed out on June 19th, Chrysler resisted making the same fix to the vehicles in the U.S. with those model years. The company explained to the NHTSA, which had received several complaints regarding the undercarriage fires, that although the design of the 2010 MY JK Wrangler was similar across the globe, the rate of underbody fires was higher in China than in the U.S. And this allegation apparently justified a recall in China, but not in the U.S., even though the vehicle designs contributing to the fires were substantially similar in both countries.
Our Galveston auto defect lawyers did not notice an explanation for the higher rate of fires in China that would help allay our fears if we were Jeep Wrangler drivers. Was the higher rate of fires perhaps because more Chinese drivers drive off road and accumulate more combustible debris in the skid plate? We don’t know. And our hypothetical explanation seems unlikely since many of the complaints to the NHTSA involved vehicles that had never left the roadway.
Chrysler defended its U.S. recall of only certain 2010 Jeep Wranglers by maintaining that a change in design of the exhaust system for that model year resulted in “less than optimal clearances” between the automatic transmission’s skid plate and the exhaust catalyst. This unfortunately does not explain the high rate of underbody fires reported for the 2008 and 2009 model years.
China’s pressure on Chrysler resulted in a stronger recall than the company issued for the U.S. So you might observe that in an absence of pressure, some automakers might be inclined to take risks with your safety in order to protect their profits. We understand that Chrysler is certainly under some pressure to perform financially after the high profile bailout and its lackluster performance in the auto market recently.
But the need to improve profitability is certainly no excuse for neglecting your safety. If you receive an injury in an accident caused by a vehicle defect, you need to hold the manufacturer financially accountable for the needless harm it’s caused you. Our Galveston auto defect lawyers know how to build strong cases against automakers that have hidden defects from consumers. We have more than 14 years of experience helping injured clients to make them pay for the damage they’ve caused to innocent lives and families.
Contact us today for a free legal consultation. You can call toll free at 877-307-9500 or use our online contact form to schedule your free case evaluation. We could help you every step of the way to successfully take on the big automakers and win the full financial recovery you deserve after you’ve suffered because of a vehicle defect. And our Galveston auto defect lawyers charge no attorney’s fees unless you win your case. So call today and get started on your road to recovery.