Chrysler recalls more than 900,000 vehicles globally in two actions

[October 16, 2014]  DETROIT (Reuters) - Chrysler Group on Thursday announced two global recalls of more than 900,000 cars and SUVs combined for problems that could cause fires.

Chrysler, a unit of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, is recalling about 470,000 cars and SUVs globally from model years 2011 through 2014 and equipped with a 3.6 liter engine and a 160 amp alternator, according to the company and documents filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The alternator may suddenly fail, possibly causing a stall or fire and increasing the risk of a crash, according to the NHTSA documents.

The second recall covers about 437,000 Jeep Wrangler SUVs globally from model years 2011 through 2013 because of a fire risk, according to the NHTSA documents. They said water in the exterior heated power mirror electrical connector could cause an electrical short.

Chrysler said it was unaware of any injuries resulting from either problem. The automaker said one accident might have stemmed from the first problem, but had no reports of fire. It was not aware of any accidents from the second problem.

The repair for the first recall is still under development, according to the NHTSA documents. Chrysler plans to begin notifying owners of the recall on Nov. 28, according to the NHTSA documents.

Models affected in this recall include the Chrysler 300 sedan, Dodge Challenger and Charger cars, and Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs. An estimated 434,581 of the recalled vehicles are in the United States, 16,080 in Canada, 2,335 in Mexico and 17,000 outside North America, Chrysler said.

The repair for the Wrangler recall, which should begin on Dec. 5, includes moving the exterior mirror power feed to a separate connector and adding a water shield, according to the NHTSA documents.

In that recall, an estimated 313,236 of the SUVs are in the United States, 39,627 in Canada, 5,685 in Mexico and 78,369 outside of North America, Chrysler said.

(Reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

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