Only 48 hours after utterly repulsing the idea of a recall, Chrysler announced it will recall 435,000 Jeep sport-utility vehicles, according to the Wall Street Journal. Two days ago the company refused to comply with a request by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to take 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokees and Jeep Libertys off the road.
Chrysler cited issues with transmission fluid lines and airbags as the reason for the recall. The recalled vehicles will include 245,000 Jeep Patriots and Jeep Compasses from the model years 2010-2012. They will also include 180,000 2012 and 2013 Jeep Wranglers.
The company says the Patriots and Compasses are experiencing a software malfunction that may cause the airbag to activate later than it should. The Wranglers may have a leak in their fluid line which can cause problems for the transmission.
When Chrysler was asked by the NHTSA to do a recall, the company said the agency’s request did not have sufficient basis, according to CNNMoney.com.
"We believe NHTSA's initial conclusions are based on an incomplete analysis of the underlying data," Chrysler said in a statement. "We are committed to continue working with the agency to resolve this disagreement."
Chrysler, which may be fully acquired by Fiat within the next year, has not battled the government over its automobiles since 1996. At that time Chrysler was able to win a case in which a government agency said a large amount of the company’s vehicles had a seatbelt issue.
Although Chrysler has recalled the 435,000 SUVs, it is still holding its ground against the NHTSA when it comes to the 2.7 million Grand Cherokees and Libertys.
