GM isn’t the only automaker recalling droves of vehicles for ignition-switch-related problems. Chrysler Group is getting in on the action, too. It’s going to recall certain 2006-2007 Jeep Commanders and 2005-2007 Jeep Grand Cherokees.
“Approximately 792,300 are implicated – 649,900 in the U.S.; 28,800 in Canada; 12,800 in Mexico and 100,800 outside of the NAFTA region.” The exact number of SUVs that will be covered by the recall will be determined by an investigation.
According to the Associated Press, “Chrysler has now recalled more than 1.7 million vehicles for ignition-switch problems. In June, the company added 696,000 minivans and SUVs to a 2011 recall to fix faulty ignition switches. Those recalls covered Dodge Journey SUVs and Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan and [Chrysler-made] Volkswagen Routan minivans … from the 2007 to 2010 model years.”
If your knee comes into contact with the key, it might move the device out of the “on” position. That may stall your engine, disable your front airbags, reduce braking power and make steering more difficult.
Fortunately, Chrysler is only aware of one accident related to this issue; “A relatively small number of complaints involving 0.015 percent of the subject vehicle population” has been filed.
Should your Jeep be identified as one under the umbrella of this initiative, expect to be contacted by mid-September about when you can schedule your free service. Until then, keep space between your knees and keys, and remove everything except your key from your key ring.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
