Gov't: Fiat Chrysler must offer to buy back 500000 pickups - KTVU San Francisco
DETROIT (KTVU-AP) — Fiat Chrysler will pay a record fine of up to $105 million and be forced to buy back various vehicles stemming from a failure to properly conduct recalls as well as serious defects in the Ram and the Jeep. For subjecting its customers to extreme steering dangers, Chrysler must offer to buy back a half million Ram pickup trucks as well as some other vehicles, minus depreciation. Once bought back and repaired, Chrysler can resell the Rams as used trucks. Also, owners of more than a million Jeeps will be able to trade their vehicles in above market value because, according to the government, their fuel tanks are dangerously mounted behind the rear axle when a collision could start a fire. Consumer advocates say the death toll is much higher that what federal auto safety agency the NHTSA believes. If they're hit from behind in a rear impact, the fuel tank is very likely to explode as like the Ford Pinto. Though many people wonder why car makers have been able to leave defective cars in consumers hands for decades, consumer advocates blame that on the puny power of the federal auto safety agency. "It doesn't have unlimited penalties as other agencies do. It doesn't have criminal penalties. Source: wn.ktvu.com
