FCA announced a pair of recalls this week, starting with an issue with cooling fans on vans. Instead of cooling, they can overheat and cause fires.
The recall is for close to 100,000 Ram ProMaster vans in the United States. A further 8,000 vans in Canada and another 2,250 vans in Mexico are also covered by the recall, which is for 2015 to 2018 model year vehicles equipped with air conditioning and either the 3.0-L diesel or 3.6-L gasoline engine.
At issue are the cooling fans, which might seize up and stop moving. The circuit breaker should prevent electric current from heading to a busted component, but the breakers installed are sometimes insufficient to protect the fan motor from overheating. This could lead to a fire.
Drives will notice something is wrong if the check engine light comes on. FCA is advising ProMaster van drivers to turn off the van if you see the light come on, and definitely turn it off if you smell smoke.
FCA is aware of 21 total complaints of smoke or fire, with 13 of those coming from dealers. An incident with the US Postal Service last July prompted the investigation, which caught fire after the engine light came on.
No injuries have been reported, thankfully, but this fire risk is no joke.
The recall is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2020. FCA doesn’t quite have a remedy in place yet, but they should have all the parts necessary to replace fan motors and circuit breakers in the new year.
Another recall was announced by FCA on the same day for a smaller amount of Fiat 500 subcompact cars. Almost 52,000 cars in the US along with 10,600 in Canada and 3,500 in Mexico need to have their shift-cable bushings replaced due to degradation from heat and humidity. In the affected cars, the shift cable might have separated from the linkage which will cause "looser shifter movement." However, drivers should still be able to shift gears, albeit with some difficulty.
FCA is aware of 3 minor accidents, but no injuries. Affected cars are from the 2012-2013 model years. Notifications will be sent out shortly to have vehicles in for free repairs.
(Source: FCA)