NHTSA Investigation PE09037

TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING / FIRE

IN A LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 3, 2009, CHRYSLER GROUP LLC (CHRYSLER), NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF APPROXIMATELY 161,000 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 AND 2008 JEEP WRANGLER VEHICLES BUILT WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS.CHRYSLER STATED THAT THESE VEHICLES WERE NOT EQUIPPED WITH A TRANSMISSION FLUID TEMPERATURE WARNING SYSTEM AND THE OPERATION OF THESE VEHICLES BEYOND THE LIMITS OF REASONABLE USAGE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND IN SOME CASES TRANSMISSION FLUID EXPULSION.THE EXPELLED FLUID COULD COME IN CONTACT WITH A HOT ENGINE OR EXHAUST COMPONENT AND CAUSE A FIRE.CHRYSLER WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO INSTALL A HOT OIL WARNING MESSAGE IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND A CHIME INDICATING AN ELEVATED TRANSMISSION FLUID TEMPERATURE CONDITION.AN OWNER'S MANUAL ADDENDUM STATING THE PURPOSE OF THE HOT OIL MESSAGE AND CHIME TO INCLUDE CAUTION AND WARNING STATEMENTS REGARDING ELEVATED TRANSMISSION FLUID TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS WILL BE PROVIDED TO OWNERS.BASED ON CHRYSLER'S DECISION TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.