Fiat Chrysler recalls 5.3 million of its vehicles in the US

A Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sign is seen at the U.S. headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan,

A Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sign is seen at the U.S. headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan,

Published May 28, 2018

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JOHANNESBURG - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling more than 5.3 million vehicles in North America over a defect that could prevent drivers from deactivating cruise control, the company said on Friday, warning owners not to use the function until they get software upgrades. 

The Italian-American carmaker said no injuries or crashes were related to the large recall campaign, but said it had one report of a US driver of a 2017 Dodge Journey rental car being unable to deactivate the cruise control. Fiat Chrysler, which in 2015 was hit with penalties from US regulators totalling $175million (R2.18billion) for safety lapses, did not say how much the recalls would cost. 

The recall addresses what Fiat Chrysler called an “extremely rare” series of events that could lead to drivers being unable to cancel cruise control, an electronic device that allows a vehicle to maintain a constant speed without driver intervention. 

The recall covers more than 4.8 million vehicles in the US and 490000 in Canada, regulators said. 

- Reuters

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