Providers and Administrators in blue logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Chrysler Recalls 895,000 S.U.V.s for Fire Risk in Vanity Mirrors

July 14, 2014
2 min to read


Following an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Chrysler is recalling almost 895,000 sport utility vehicles because a wiring problem in the vanity mirror can cause a fire, the automaker said in a report posted Friday on the safety agency’s website, reported The New York Times.


The action covers 2011-14 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango models, including about 651,000 in the United States, 45,700 in Canada, 23,000 in Mexico and 175,000 outside North America.

Ad Loading...


Chrysler said that a sun visor screw could penetrate a wire for the vanity light, causing a short circuit that could lead to a fire. The automaker said it discovered the problem in 2011 at its Detroit assembly plant, following complaints from owners about “sun visor thermal damage.” It concluded that the wire was penetrated when workers at the assembly plant were repairing incorrectly installed headliners and had to remove the visor. To correct the problem, Chrysler began making a series of changes to the manufacturing process, the last one early in 2013, “to ensure a repair operation was more robust.” The company said it also discovered problems when repairs to the visor or headliner had been performed at dealerships.


In August 2013, federal regulators began an investigation, responding to owner complaints about fires near the vanity mirror. The investigation was upgraded last January to a more serious engineering analysis after N.H.T.S.A. received 41 complaints about the problem and 38 reports of fires, including three with injuries. Many of the fires were minor and involved smoldering, but some owners reported more serious problems. “In some reports the fire spread to the front seats and/or door panels of the vehicle. In one report the sunroof was damaged, causing the glass to shatter,” the agency reported.


In a March 19 letter, Chrysler told the agency that its internal investigation had concluded that the problem was extremely limited and resulted in little damage. The automaker also said that it had received no reports of injuries and that “there is no unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.”


The agency, however, pushed its case and the automaker agreed to the recall.

More Industry

F&Iby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 25, 2026

Report Finds Year-End F&I Strength

Deal volume ebbed and flowed throughout 2025, but product performance remained steady, according to automotive technology and data intelligence solutions provider StoneEagle.

Read More →
Industryby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 24, 2026

China Leads Battery Production

Between 2020 and 2025, gigafactory capacity grew six-fold and is set to grow another 118% by 2030, according Benchmark data.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellFebruary 24, 2026

Overall Consumer Confidence Up

Americans’ view of present business conditions, the labor market and family finances, though, are still in the dumps, and if they plan to buy cars, many target used units.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Auto Financeby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 23, 2026

Auto Loan Forecast Bucks Market Trend

Auto loan originations rose over 6% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, but TransUnion predicts a slight decline in auto loan growth this year, making it an outlier in the company's overall lending forecast.

Read More →
F&Iby Hannah MitchellFebruary 23, 2026

Some Auto Brands Cheaper to Insure

A new top 10 list ranks the least expensive for average full insurance coverage on a clean driving record and high driver credit scores.

Read More →
Industryby StaffFebruary 20, 2026

Learn to Manage the Mayhem at Agent Summit

Rob Mancuso – president of Mancuso Automotive – will present a Keynote at the 2026 event.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Industryby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 19, 2026

Affordability Leads Top-Rated List

Edmunds’ editorial team tested 300-plus vehicles to help determine the Top Rated Awards for 2026, and one brand stood out with multiple rankings, including Best of the Best.

Read More →
Salesby Hannah MitchellFebruary 19, 2026

Auto Sales Still Sluggish

February forecast has new-vehicle deliveries still off from last year at this time amid high prices and vanished EV incentives. But J.D. Power sees business picking up from here as automakers target growth.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellFebruary 18, 2026

EVs Bring Most Satisfaction to Date

Study finds that adopters are true believers and that their satisfaction with the vehicles is growing, including for public charger experience, despite pullback of federal incentives.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Industryby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 17, 2026

Auto Manufacturing Drives Economic Growth

The sector generates over $64 billion in annual economic impact in South Carolina, making it the largest and fastest-growing manufacturing subsector in the state.

Read More →