Chrysler owners in Tennessee may receive a recall notice. The company has revealed that it will recall around 5,600 vehicles sold in the United States and Canada due to the possible failure of the 8-speed automatic transmission. The filing says that the output of the transmission shaft could fracture, which may cause power loss. Hyundai is also under investigation by the National Highway Safety Administration to see if a previous recall from the automaker should have included more vehicles.
Chrysler says that it found about the issue that led to the recall from transmission warranty claims from ZF Group, the manufacturer of the transmission. The recall affects the 2013 year of the Chrysler 300, Dodge Ram 1500 and Dodge Charger. According to the filing that the automaker made with the NHTSA on Dec. 5, the vehicles included are those with a V6 engine, 8-speed automatic transmission and either 4-wheel or all-wheel drive.
In the separate action, Hyundai issued a recall in March that affected 186,000 Elantra vehicles from the 2011-13 years. The issue was that a side curtain airbag may release a metal support bracket from the headliner if it deploys during a crash. The metal bracket could hit the occupant and cause a head injury. The NHTSA said in a new report that it learned that the 2009-12 years of the Touring models of the Elantra used a similar design as those that were recalled. It is investigating to find out if Hyundai should have recalled 52,000 Touring models as well.
There could be questions as to if any car accidents occurred as a result of the defective equipment that was in the recalled vehicles. If an injured party is able to prove that this was the cause of a car accident, the individual may qualify to receive compensation from the automaker, parts distributor or parts manufacturer.
Source: NY Times, “Chrysler to Recall 5,600 Vehicles; N.H.T.S.A. Investigates Hyundai“, Christopher Jensen, December 09, 2013