Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has posted a safety recall notice with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announcing that 69,298 Dodge and Chrysler all-wheel drive vehicles may be at risk.
Dodge, Chrysler Loose Bolt Problem
The problem involves the potential loosening of the front driveshaft bolts, which could lead to the loss of power when driving. Affected cars include Dodge Charger LD with AWD with model year 2014-2017 and MY Chrysler 300 LX with AWD models 2014-2017.
The driveshaft is a mechanical component that transmits power to the front wheels and is often used to connect other components of a car's drive train.
Once the shaft got disconnected it could hit the road's surface or completely fall off the vehicle. According to Consumerist, either of those scenarios could damage the power train and the vehicle's underbody especially if the problem occurs while on the road.
Aside from the impact on the affected car, the loss of power could also expose passengers to the risk of a car crash.
If your Dodge or Chrysler car is affected, some symptoms to watch out for include unusual car vibration and noise. If these happen, they will eventually lead to driveshaft failure.
FCA Investigation
FCA's recall statement maintained that there has been no accident or injury reported involving the driveshaft problem. The automaker claimed that the issue was only revealed after it reviewed warranty data, which prompted an internal investigation. This measure was able to determine the problem.
Now, there are probably vehicle owners who already have brought their cars for repair. FCA has promised to reimburse the cost provided they can furnish the service receipt.
"FCA US has a longstanding policy and practice of reimbursing owners who have incurred the cost of repairing a problem that subsequently becomes the subject of a field action," the company said. "To ensure consistency, FCA US, as part of the owner letter, will request that customers send the original receipt and/or other adequate proof of payment to the company for confirmation of the expense."
According to the FCA document submitted to the NHTSA last Feb. 14, only 3 percent are affected by the defect but the nearly 70,000 sedans are being recalled so their eight front driveshaft bolts can be replaced. The company has also recalled trucks and police cars late last year for faulty alternator but the problem regarding automatic transmission prompted it to call back 1.1 million vehicles earlier.
Owners can expect to receive notification from FCA on March 31. For more details, you can directly call FCA at 800-853-1403. You can also head to www.safercar.gov to check if your car is covered.
