On Friday, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles issued a 4.8 million vehicle recall and warned owners of affected vehicles not to activate cruise control, for fears that the system will not deactivate once engaged. The alert was picked up by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which advises vehicle owners to heed FCA’s warning.
The NHTSA asks that potentially affected owners either input their VIN on the Administration’s website to check for standing recalls or check the following FCA-provided list of vehicles and respective model years against their own vehicle:
- Chrysler 200 (2015-2017)
- Chrysler 300 (2014-2018)
- Chrysler Pacifica (2017-2018)
- Dodge Challenger (2015-2018)
- Dodge Charger (2014-2018)
- Dodge Durango (2014-2018)
- Dodge Journey (2014-2018)
- Jeep Cherokee (2014-2018)
- Jeep Grand Cherokee (2014-2018)
- Jeep Wrangler (2018)
- Ram 1500 (2014-2019)
- Ram 2500 (2014-2018)
- Ram 3500 Pickup (2014-2018)
- Ram 3500 Cab Chassis Less Than 10,000lb (2016-2018)
- Ram 3500 Cab Chassis (2014-2018)
- Ram 4500 Cab Chassis (2014-2018)
- Ram 5500 Cab Chassis (2014-2018)
The Drive contacted FCA for information on whether the Dodge Grand Caravan, closely related to the recalled Chrysler Pacifica, is also affected by the recall, and we will update when a response has returned.
A company statement says the car may lock itself in cruise control when the system opens the throttle further, such as when vehicle speed must be maintained while climbing a hill, and the system may short-circuit. If a driver finds cruise control will not disengage itself, the NHTSA advises drivers to aggressively apply the vehicle’s brakes or shift into neutral, and when the vehicle rolls to a halt, place it into park.
One crash as a result of the fault, with no injuries, has been reported.
FCA advises owners to bring their vehicles into dealerships for service to correct the issue, which it says can be addressed with a software update.