Italian-American carmaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced on Thursday that it is recalling its sports utility vehicles in the United States once again because of fire risks related to a possible electrical short in the cars' sun visors.
The company said the recall involves close to 389,000 2011-2013 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos that have been identified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to have issues with electrical connections.
"The wiring for the vanity lamp in the sun visor may short circuit, after having been remedied for a prior recall for vanity lamp wiring," the NHTSA said. "This recall is also addressing certain vehicles that have not been remedied under that prior recall."
These same vehicle models have been the subject of a recall in July 2014 after Fiat Chrysler discovered that the wiring for a mirror light was prone to overheating and electrical shorts.
Fiat Chrysler's decision to recall the SUVs comes after the federal government launched an investigation into the wiring issues after eight incidents of visor fires were reported following the initial recall repair. There have been no recorded cases of crashes or injuries related to the problem.
The carmaker pointed out that wiring issues after the recall occurred only in SUVs that were manufactured before September 2012. It is finalizing repair orders for vehicles affected by the latest recall.
The company assures car owners that the wirings on the SUVs will be properly secured using a new adhesive and that further safety measures will be made in order to prevent electrical connections from coming into contact with rough surfaces.
Owners of Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos covered in the latest recall may contact Fiat Chrysler's customer service at 1-800-853-1403. The dedicated number for the recall is R71. There is no date yet as to when the recall will begin.
In July 2015, Fiat Chrysler entered a $105 million settlement related to the mishandling of nearly two dozen recalls involving 11 million vehicles. The company also paid a fine worth $70 million.
Fiat Chrysler agreed to a three-year consent deal and monitoring, which is to be handled by former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater.
