Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has expedited its electronic shifter recall months in advance of the original schedule. This accelerated effort began prior to the tragic death of "Star Trek" actor Anton Yelchin.
Owners of 2014-15 Jeep Grand Cherokees and 2012-14 Chrysler 300s and Dodge Chargers were notified by FCA of a voluntary recall because of confusing shifters that could be mistakenly left in Neutral, making dangerous roll-aways a possibility. Yelchin was killed in June after he got out of his running 2015 Grand Cherokee on his sloped drive in Los Angeles. The car, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, then rolled into him, pinning Yelchin against a gate and mailbox.
Jake Fisher, the director of Auto Testing for Consumer Reports, said, "It is imperative that auto manufacturers take quick action in a situation like this. Any time there is an issue that puts drivers at risk, it is essential that manufacturers communicate quickly and clearly to owners and that defects are repaired promptly."
A fix was originally planned for the fourth quarter, based on an FCA technical advisory, but moving at warp speed, the company was able to make update available in July. The initial fixes issued to dealers covered only the non-SRT 2014 and 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokees and have since expanded. Notices that a fix is now available began mailing on August 5 to owners of 2012 and 2013 Chrysler 300s and Dodge Chargers (RWD and AWD) equipped with a 3.6L V-6 engine.
This means that the fix is now available for 99 percent of all customers affected by this recall. Final notices for the remaining 1 percent (owners of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT) could begin mailing as early as this week, according to FCA spokesman Eric Mayne.
After six weeks, according to FCA, more than 20 percent of the total recalled vehicle population has been serviced. FCA suggested in an exclusive note to Consumer Reports that if all customers were to respond and the current service rate were maintained, the campaign could be complete in 30 weeks.
Recall completion rates have been on the rise, and certainly the high-profile nature of the Yelchin tragedy has brought a lot of attention to this recall in particular. FCA is hoping that by rolling out this fix quickly and with owners motivated by the notoriety of the recall, the company will see completion more than twice as fast as the average campaign.
If you own one of the impacted vehicles, have this fix performed as soon as possible. It takes about two hours at the dealership and makes the car shift into park when the doors are opened or the car is turned off.
Correction: This article has been updated to clarify the Fiat Chrysler Automobile recall timeline and to remove an inaccurate reference to the company's recall completion rate.
