FCA Repeats Recall to Fix Vanity Mirror Wiring

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is repeating a recall of 476,700 SUVs worldwide to fix wiring to the vanity mirrors that could short circuit, overheat and cause a fire. About three-quarters of the vehicles are in the U.S.

The callback covers 2011-2012 model Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs. The campaign follows up on a recall in mid-2014 to address the same flaw in 895,000 of the same vehicles built in 2011-2014.

The problem occurs only in SUVs whose headliners or vanity mirrors are removed and replaced during servicing. If the components aren’t reinstalled correctly, the vanity mirror mounting screws could pierce the wiring and create a short circuit.

Under the 2014 recall, dealers installed a spacer/wire guide to reroute the wires in all recalled models, regardless of whether their headliners had been serviced. But FCA says the repair wasn’t done correctly in some cases, resulting in a new round of reports about overheated wires.

This time dealers will use an adhesive to secure the wiring. The new recall is smaller because the problem involves only SUVs equipped with a certain wiring package used in vehicles made before September 2012.