Recently, General Motors has made numerous headlines regarding the recall of the ignition switch in several of its vehicles. But General Motors is not the only American car manufacturer recalling defects in its automobiles. Chrysler announced the recall of all 2011-2014 Dodge Durangos and Jeep Grand Cherokees after concerns arose regarding brake failures.
According to an article written in the Consumerist, these vehicles “have a brake booster with a center shell that may corrode and allow water to get inside. This water could freeze and limit the braking ability of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.” It is estimated that nearly 870,000 SUVs are affected by this defect.
Chrysler began investigating a possible defect after several customers complained of difficult braking, especially during inclement weather (abc NEWS). This investigation began in Spring 2013, and throughout the next few months, experiments were conducted on Durangos and Grand Cherokees. Finally, in March 2014, after the exact issue of these vehicles was determined, Chrysler conducted a voluntary safety recall (Report for Chrysler Group).
As of that date, Chrysler was aware of one accident, but no injuries, due to this defect. To remedy this situation, Chrysler plans to “add a water diverter shield to the booster after the booster has been inspected to confirm it can hold an acceptable vacuum. If the booster inspection confirms an unacceptable loss of vacuum pressure, the booster will be replaced,” (Report for Chrysler Group).
Chrysler will be contacting owners of affected vehicles in May, and repairs and replacement parts will be provided free of charge (Consumerist).