Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Transport Canada have issued a recall of 15 models to address a cruise control issue but says that no injuries or accidents have resulted from the problem.
The recall addresses a situation that could see drivers unable to disengage the cruise control system, caused by a very specific set of circumstances.
Cruise control maintains speed on road grades by accelerating as needed. In the affected vehicles, if that acceleration were to occur at the exact time as a short-circuit in a specific vehicle electrical network, it could become possible that the driver could be unable to cancel cruise control. The vehicle could then maintain speed or accelerate without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
If that does happen, FCA says that the vehicle brakes can overpower the acceleration and that the vehicle can also be stopped by shifting into neutral and then placing the stopped vehicle in park. That last action would cancel the cruise.
The fix is a software upgrade to the powertrain control module.
“Notwithstanding the extraordinary circumstances that must exist before a customer would experience a problem, we are taking this action because we are fully committed to vehicle safety,” said Mark Chernoby, FCA head of vehicle safety and regulatory compliance. FCA US also said that it is unaware of any accidents or related injuries from affected vehicles in more than 200 billion miles of driving. The company advises drivers of the affected vehicles to avoid using cruise control until they get the fix.
The recall affects 4.8-million vehicles in the US and 490,000 in Canada, covering gas engine and automatic transmission-equipped models of certain Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles from model years 2014-2019. FCA will begin alerting affected customers soon.
List of Recalled Vehicles
2015-17 Chrysler 200
2014-18 Chrysler 300
2017-18 Chrysler Pacifica
2015-18 Dodge Challenger
2014-18 Dodge Charger
2014-18 Dodge Journey
2014-18 Dodge Durango
2014-18 Jeep Cherokee
2014-18 Jeep Grand Cherokee
2018 Jeep Wrangler
2014-19 Ram 1500
2014-18 Ram 2500
2014-18 Ram 3500
2014-18 Ram 3500 cab chassis
2014-18 Ram 4500/5500 cab chassis
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