Fiat Chrysler India issued a recall for the Jeep Compass in India and will replace the passenger airbag on all vehicles issued under recall. In a move to strengthen relations with its customers in India, the company will bear the entire cost of the part and labour required to rectify the problem. Manufacturing a car is a rather complex process and the companies often partner with specific part manufacturers to supply various parts. This also helps in keeping the price of the product in check as the total part cost and taxes levied both will be minimal.
A total of 1,200 units of the Jeep Compass recalled were manufactured between September 5, 2017 and November 19, 2017, will be able to get their respective parts replaced by their nearest dealership. The same was issued on November 22, 2017. A total of 7,000 units have been recalled in the US and around 1,000 units in Canada and Mexico.
The recall has been issued under the circumstance that some loose fasteners might have found their way into the airbag module during the assembly process and can seriously injure the occupant if the airbag is deployed. although, no such cases of injury have been reported yet and FCA’s quick action in the matter is appreciated.
The company has not received any information regarding any warranty claims, accidents or complaints pertaining to the reason for the faulty airbag. The company, however, suggests its customers to avoid using the front passenger seat until the issue has been rectified for the safety of its customers.
The dealers will directly contact the owners of the affected vehicles in the coming week and will rectify the issue at the earliest and free of cost. The Compass has been one of the most successful products of the company in India and as many as 7,561 units of the SUV has been sold till October 2017, according to the data provided by Society of Auto Manufacturers (SIAM). FCA launched the Compass back in July this year
Recalls are a normal part of the post-sales service experience and if the part in question doesn’t offer a direct threat to the passengers of the vehicles, are mostly swapped silently. The largest recall ever in case of faulty airbags have been the infamous 2013 Takata airbags wherein the manufacturer Takata supplied faulty airbags to auto-manufacturers globally and the affected number of vehicles is to be estimated at 42 Million in the US alone. Specific companies like Toyota issued a recall immediately and the issue has been resolved now.
