Owners of unrepaired 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Liberty SUVs will receive $100 gift cards upon completion of recall-related inspections or installation of a trailer hitch to minimize fire risk in rear-end collisions.
Grand Cherokee owners who prefer to trade in the vehicle are eligible for $1,000 towards the new purchase or a $1,000 prepaid card for parts or service, however the same trade-in incentives are not available for affected Liberty SUVs.
FCA has argued that the older Liberty and Grand Cherokee are safe, despite the recalls and a lawsuit that initially led to a $150 million judgement. The company has consequently refused to repurchase affected vehicles, some of which are too rusted for proper repairs.
Under government pressure, the automaker did agree to repurchase vehicles from three other recall campaigns involving broken tie-rods and axle nuts that can loosen and cause loss of vehicle control. Affected models include certain Ram trucks from the 2008-2012 model years and the 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango.
“We are committed to further improving our recall completion rates,” said FCA safety chief Scott Kunselman. “The added benefit of our efforts, we hope, will be to elevate public awareness of the need to respond to recall notices, and a greater understanding of the recall process, in general.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had threatened to take action over alleged misconduct in 23 different FCA recall campaigns. The company eventually entered into a consent agreement that included the incentive programs and a $70 million fine.
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