Half a Million Durangos and Cherokees Recalled Again for Fuel Pump Issues

4 years, 11 months ago - 25 November 2019, autoevolution

After being hit in the head with a racketeering lawsuit filed by GM, FCA is now facing another issue, this time more mechanical in nature: the recall of half a million SUVs on account of a fuel pump issue.

The issue originates from an older problem that the company thought it already fixed.

In a statement released on Thursday, FCA said it is recalling 528,594 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee manufactured between 2011 and 2013. It says the recall has been prompted by dealers alerting FCA of a problem with a fuel pump relay.

More specifically, the company's partners found "silicon deposits on the contact points of certain fuel pump relays" that may "interrupt electrical current." This in turn could lead to the engine not starting or worse, stalling.

The company says it is unaware of any incidents relating to this condition, and adds that the faulty relays in some of the affected cars "may have been installed in response to a previous recall."

As usual in such cases, owners will be notified and scheduled for a trip to their local dealers. The same will happen with an additional 34,764 owners in Canada, 18,152 in Mexico and 116,511 on other continents.

On a separate note, FCA is now about to start a corporate-level fight for its very existence against GM, which has accused it of corruption beyond imagination. General Motors says FCA paid millions in bribes to get advantages during the harsh survival negotiations of the mid-2010s, causing severe financial distress.

GM is asking an undisclosed amount in damages, but certainly billions of dollars, on top of punitive damages and costs.

FCA denies all allegations, and said it will fight in court, but also plans to push back and "pursue all available remedies in response to this groundless lawsuit."