Feds Fine FCA $70M Over Safety Reporting Practices
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) will pay a $70 million fine to conclude a U.S. investigation.
The company is being fined after it admitted in September that it failed “to provide Early Warning Report data to NHTSA as required by the TREAD Act of 2000.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at the time called it a “significant failure.”
This isn’t the first time the automaker is reaching a fine settlement with NHTSA. In July, FCA agreed to pay $105 million as a result of its handling of nearly two dozen recalls affecting 11-million vehicles.
SEE ALSO: FCA Admits to Under-Reporting Injury and Death Claims
As a result of the settlement, the company has also agreed to change procedures to ensure proper reporting. It will commission a third-party audit to ensure compliance with the law and to help determine the full extent of the reporting failures. FCA will also have to turn over all crash reports it failed to disclose within six months.
“We need FCA and other automakers to move toward a stronger, more proactive safety culture, and when they fall short, we will continue to exercise our enforcement authority to set them on the right path,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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