Chrysler recalls over 800,000 vehicles worldwide

The Chrysler Group LLC has issued five recalls, affecting more than 800,000 vehicles. Vehicles include in the recent recalls are the 2013 Dodge Caravan, 2013 Chrysler Town & Country, 2013 Dodge Ram 1500, 2011-2013 Chrysler Sebring, 2011-2013 Dodge Avenger, 2011-2013 Jeep Liberty and 2011-2012 Dodge Nitro.

Minivans

The company says approximately 226 model-year 2013 minivans in North America will need airbag-control module replacement.

The modules were inadvertently programmed with software that may compromise airbag deployment. Shoulder restraints and other safety systems are unaffected.

The campaign, which is limited to the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country models, involves 184 vehicles in the U.S.; 40 in Canada and two in Mexico.

Approximately 180 of the vehicles are in dealer hands.

Another 282,000 model-year 2013 minivans worldwide have been recalled to correct airbag-control software.

Following a customer complaint, Chrysler Group launched an investigation that determined the affected minivans are equipped with a component inadvertently programmed to deploy side airbags on the opposing side of the vehicle. Side airbags are intended to deploy on the side of the vehicle that corresponds with the impact.

Front-row airbags that deploy from the steering wheel and passenger-side dashboard are unaffected. Chrysler Group is aware of three related accidents and one minor injury.

Affected models are the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country and Ram Cargo Van. The campaign involves 224,000 vehicles in the U.S.; 49,300 in Canada; 2,900 in Mexico and 5,300 outside the NAFTA region.

4×4 Pickup Trucks

Over 1,000 commercial trucks have been recalled due to track-bar fastener issues. The campaign is restricted to trucks equipped with four-wheel drive. Affected are 747 model-year 2013 Ram 4500/5500 trucks in the U.S., and 311 in Canada. Approximately 600 are in dealer hands.

Chrysler is also recalling over 65,000 4×4 pickup trucks worldwide to update their electronic stability control (ESC) software. Chrysler Group received a small number of reports from dealers who noted ESC warning-lamp activation on 2013 Ram 1500 trucks equipped with four-wheel drive. A warning lamp indicates ESC is disabled.

An ensuing investigation discovered the condition may inadvertently occur when the transfer case position is changed immediately before the ignition is turned off. Software was modified to prevent ESC deactivation under such circumstances.

The total number of affected vehicles comprises approximately 45,900 in the U.S.; 21,000 in Canada; 1,400 in Mexico and 770 outside the NAFTA region.

Cars and Utility Vehicles

Approximately 490,000 cars and utility vehicles worldwide have been recalled to address active head-restraint function.

Active head restraints are designed to mitigate neck injuries by automatically moving forward during certain rear-impact collisions. Potentially faulty microcontrollers in some vehicles may prevent the systems from functioning properly.

Airbags and shoulder-restraint systems are not affected.

The potentially faulty microcontrollers were installed in a supplied component. They entered the supply chain after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused a worldwide microcontroller shortage.

Affected are the 2011-2013 Chrysler Sebring, 200 and Dodge Avenger midsize cars; 2011-2013 Jeep Liberty SUVs and 2011-2012 Dodge Nitro SUVs.

The campaign involves approximately 442,000 vehicles in the U.S.; 25,000 in Canada; 10,000 in Mexico; and 12,000 outside the NAFTA region.