[Jeep TrackHawk News]

FCA finds itself again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. At the same time they reached their $105 million settlement with the NHTSA for mishandling recalls, it has come to light that FCA has been significantly under reported deaths or injuries.

“This represents a significant failure to meet a manufacturer’s safety responsibilities,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement. “NHTSA will take appropriate action after gathering additional information on the scope and causes of this failure.”

In July as part of FCA's punishment for mishandling recalls since 2009, it was decided they must satisfy extra requirements as part of a consent decree. Under the decree FCA is expected to revamp its recall and defect practices, as well as brining in an independent monitor as part of the board.

FCA says this latest discrepancy was found because of the consent decree. Rosekind suggests that FCA’s under-reporting was caused by “a number of problems with FCA’s systems for gathering and reporting Early Warning data.”

 

[JeepersCreepers]

FCA says this latest discrepancy was found because of the consent decree

They made it sound accusatory in that bit. Something along the lines of, 'If it wasn't for that darned consent decree we could have gotten away with it.'
At least they chose a good time to come out with it because everyone is focusing on VW right now. Probably another settlement in FCA's future.

 

[Jeepers]

What is a consent decree?

FCA is probably smart to bring this forward now as most people won't notice because they are paying attention to VW right now.

 

[JeepersCreepers]

Basically giving NHTSA consent to access and scrutinize FCA safety data and other safety related things.

 

[Jeepers]

Does this news make you think any differently of FCA?

Maybe I'm just too used to news like this, but I don't even feel like this is that bad.

 

[BlackHawk]

What happened to Honda in the end is what will more than likely happen to them:

In January, Honda Motor Co. agreed to pay a $70 million fine for failing to disclose more than 1,700 reports of deaths, injuries and other “early warning” information to NHTSA, which then was the largest auto safety fine in U.S. history. Honda admitted it violated two sections of a 2000 federal law that requires automakers to disclose reports to NHTSA.

 

[RedTail]

Another $70 million fine on top of FCA's $105 million settlement. Probably a drop in the bucket for them compared to VW's estimated billions from the scandal.

 

[BlackHawk]

I think VW may still turn out being ahead in the end, VW's case is focused around a 6 year span of vehicles produce and that's a lot of money to be pulling in, probably what amounts to more than the fines.

 

[RedTail]

Feels like FCA and VW will just get a slap on the wrist in the form of fines and settlements. VW is a huge automotive umbrella that rakes in a large amount of money every year, something similar can be said about the FCA.

 

[Jeepers]

Feels like FCA and VW will just get a slap on the wrist in the form of fines and settlements. VW is a huge automotive umbrella that rakes in a large amount of money every year, something similar can be said about the FCA.

VW has a lot more money in the bank than FCA though. I am not sure how much the fines will actually affect each business, but I think that the real impact, if there is any, will be more so in how regulators change things to catch these types of tricks. Now that may not even happen since that would require Congress and they don't do anything.

 

[BlackHawk]

There was an article on what they could potentially sell to pay off these fines but I doubt it will get to that point although it is good to consider that.

 

[Jeepers]

I was reading that the FCA death reporting thing may be worse than previously thought.

"We identified it. They went back. It goes much deeper than I think anybody expected," NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind told reports, according to quotes published by The Detroit News.

After receiving notification from the agency of an apparent discrepancy in its early warning reporting (EWR) numbers, FCA admitted to the underreporting and promised to participate in the subsequent investigation.

Rosekind declined to disclose an estimate of how many deaths and injuries were not included in FCA's required EWR reports, though the results promise to be "pretty surprising." The agency is said to be still uncovering more problems as it continues to look at the data.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," he said. "We find one thing and then it goes back further and so that's what the challenge has been."

http://www.leftlanenews.com/nhtsa-f...ths-goes-much-deeper-than-expected-89912.html

 

[RedTail]

In its lengthy dispute with the NHTSA over fuel-tank fire risk in older Jeep Liberty and Grand Cherokee SUVs, FCA persistently argued that both models were just as safe as segment rivals of the era.

So if the of the segment rivals are crap with gas tank safety than they will be just as crappy?

 

[BlackHawk]

I think it's safe to say that as when it come to something like that, it can be a big issue.

 

[RedTail]

Now that FCA is being looked at more closely maybe their car safety will go up to prevent future life losses.

 

[BlackHawk]

That they'll sure have to do, as long as they can keep agencies that overlook them in these areas happy enough they should be able to get by.

 

[Jeepers]

Seems like it shouldn't be the most difficult thing to do, making a fuel tank that doesn't set on fire. If there are automakers that can make safe vehicles than Jeep and FCA can do it too. I would assume that would be the first priority of any auto designer/engineer.

 

[JeepersCreepers]

They won't have a choice for the next few years the National Highway Traffic Safety agency will have someone monitor FCA.

 

[BlackHawk]

It also won't be just the fuel tank but the lines that feed in and out of it, those need to be fire resistant too since it makes the vehicle that much safer especially in a fire.

A kevlar-hybrid material might do them well for those lines.

 

[TIME]

you know thinking about it, if I was FCA i'd try and have as hard a time tracking deaths os posisble... if you don't know they didn't happen right...??