Chrysler Recalls 570,000 SUVs To Fix Fire Dangers

December 24, 2015 — Fiat Chrysler (FCA) is recalling about 570,000 SUVs in two recalls, one to address problems that have plagued the automaker since 2013.

Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango

Owners of over 476,000 model year 2011-2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs probably don't want to be reminded of this story, but here goes.

In August 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokees after owners reported headliners catching fire and burning the roofs, along with burning sun visors that fell off and spread fire to the passenger seats.

In January 2014, NHTSA upgraded the investigation and in July 2014, Chrysler recalled 895,000 SUVs because the sun visors could catch on fire from damaged wiring in the vanity lights. But that wasn't the end of the story.

In May 2015, the government opened a "recall query" to determine if the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango recall did enough to fix the problems. NHTSA kept receiving complaints about overheating in a small number of SUVs with a certain wiring package.

Now Fiat Chrysler says over 476,000 model year 2011-2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs are recalled to perform more repairs to the vanity mirror wiring. FCA says a very small percentage of SUVs experienced overheating events, something the automaker determined was caused by a service procedure that wasn't precisely followed.

Chrysler says an estimated 352,831 SUVs are in the U.S., about 26,487 are in Canada, 13,037 in Mexico and 84,330 outside those areas. The automaker says it doesn't know of any accidents or injuries caused by the wiring problem.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango recall schedule hasn't been released. Chrysler says wiring in the headliners will be secured with a new adhesive. However, NHTSA says a recall remedy is still being worked on.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R71.

Jeep Compass and Patriot

Another 93,000 FCA SUVs are recalled because of the risk of fires. The 2015 Jeep Compass and Patriot SUVs have clamps that may be out of position and cause a rapid loss of power steering fluid.

The clamp is used to secure a low-pressure return hose and any loss of power steering fluid could cause problems with power steering assist. Another potential problem is fires that can result from fluid leaking onto a hot surface.

Chrysler also says the mileage doesn't seem to matter because the problems seem to occur in SUVs with very low mileage.

The automaker doesn't know of any accidents or injuries related to the defective clamps. About 60,000 of the SUVs are in the U.S., with another 5,755 in Canada, 3,351 in Mexico and 23,995 outside North America.

FCA doesn't know when the recall will begin, but dealers will inspect and reposition the clamp that secures the low-pressure return hose.

With questions about the SUV recalls, customers can call Chrysler at 800-853-1403.

Read complaints submitted to CarComplaints.com about the SUVs named in the recalls.