Feds Set Public Hearing Over Fiat Chrysler Recalls
Federal officials will hold a hearing over allegations that Fiat Chrysler is too slow in fixing recalled vehicles.
Federal safety regulators say they will hold a public hearing with officials from Fiat Chrysler about the automaker’s response to dealing with vehicles that have been recalled.
Officials with the National Highway Traffic Administration say it takes too long for Fiat Chrysler to fix vehicles that were recalled and that there appears to be a lack of replacement parts available.
The agency has debated the issue with the automaker over the past two years, when the government wanted Fiat Chrysler to recall nearly 3 million Jeep SUV’s that had been tied to more than 50 fatal accidents involving rear-end collisions.
Officials with the automaker say they will cooperate with the government, and note that the company is trying to both convince owners to have their vehicles repaired and telling dealers to let the factory know if there are any barriers preventing them from fixing parts that have been recalled.
Experts say holding a public hearing on such an issue is extremely rare. Both NHTSA and Fiat Chrysler can call witnesses during the hearing, which is set for the first week of July.
