Latest news with #FCAUS
Miami Herald
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Jeep Issues Recall for Grand Cherokee Headrest Problem
The Grand Cherokee is currently Jeep's most important vehicle in America. In 2024 alone, it accounted for over 216,000 units sold – the US brand's top-performing nameplate by a significant margin, beating the Wrangler by over 60,000 units. The strong momentum has continued into 2025, with nearly 100,000 Grand Cherokee units delivered in the first half of the year. With that kind of footprint, even a small defect can affect a large number of owners – and that's exactly what's happening now, as more than 121,000 units have been included in a new voluntary safety recall. The issue affects both the 2023–2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee and its longer Grand Cherokee L counterpart. According to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a defect in the second-row head restraints may prevent them from locking into their upright position. The failure stems from an internal locking mechanism that can get stuck when the backrests are folded down, leaving the headrest folded forward. If the headrest does not lock upright, it falls short of the minimum 29.5 inches height required under federal safety regulations. The voluntary safety recall affects 78,157 units of the two-row Grand Cherokee, manufactured between May 16, 2023, and May 2, 2024. Meanwhile, 43,241 units of the Grand Cherokee L, built from May 16, 2023, through January 30, 2024, complete the list of affected units. Obviously, those manufactured outside this period are unaffected. The automaker traced the issue to specific production batches and identified the defective parts as sourced from Grammer Industries Inc. Stellantis, through FCA US, its North American arm, will address the problem by inspecting the second-row headrests on all affected vehicles and replacing them if necessary. The replacement parts are not subject to the same defective conditions and meet all regulatory requirements. The automaker should have already contacted dealers as of this writing, and is scheduled to notify owners in a phased rollout beginning September 5, 2025. No warnings or alerts are present in affected vehicles, so owners will need to rely on the recall notifications or VIN search tools to determine if their SUV is included. FCA US will also reimburse owners under its standard reimbursement plan where applicable. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
EEOC sues Chrysler manufacturer for allegedly firing a worker for not working during Passover
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit alleging that automaker FCA US denied a worker's request for a religious accommodation to observe the Sabbath and take unpaid time off for Passover, according to a news release issued July 7. The automobile manufacturer — known for the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat car brands — allegedly disciplined and eventually fired the worker, who practices orthodox Judaism, for not working the Sabbath or during Passover, per a lawsuit (EEOC v. FCA US, LLC) filed June 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The worker 'has a sincerely held religious belief that he must abstain from working during the Sabbath, a 24-hour period that begins Friday sundown and ends Saturday sundown,' the lawsuit said. The company allegedly stopped excusing the worker's Friday absences and instituted mandatory Saturday work, per EEOC, 'which conflicted with the employee's religious beliefs.' Such alleged actions violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination or retaliation based on a person's religion; the law also requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for workers' religious practices and observances, unless it would cause the company undue hardship, per EEOC. 'The EEOC will hold employers accountable for violations of Title VII's religious protections,' EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas said in the news release. 'Employees have a right to request reasonable religious accommodations without fear of punishment or termination. Firing someone for asserting those rights violates federal civil rights laws.' 'Instead of engaging with the employee and providing a reasonable religious accommodation, FCA disciplined him for attendance violations for not working during the Sabbath. The employee complained of FCA's discriminatory actions, but FCA continued to issue him attendance violations for not working during the Sabbath,' EEOC said in the news release. The worker filed a charge of discrimination with EEOC against the Big Three automaker, and the company allegedly chose not to participate in conciliation, per the lawsuit. FCA US, which is a subsidiary of Stellantis, did not immediately respond to an HR Dive request for comment. The lawsuit, which requests a jury trial, calls for the company to pay punitive damages and provide compensation for pecuniary and nonpecuniary losses, 'including, emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life, in amounts to be determined at trial.' EEOC also requested the court order the company to institute policies to correct its alleged unlawful employment practices and enjoin the company from any discriminatory employment practices based on religion. Recommended Reading The end of the rainbow (lawsuit): Kroger settles religious bias claim for $180K
