Nearly 104,000 vehicles are affected by the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 diesels.
The EPA has now taken aim at Fiat Chrysler (FCA), in response to VW’s Dieselgate scandal. The Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ram 1500 3.0-liter Diesel are just two of the 103 828 affected vehicles. Penalties for guilty could reach $44,539 per vehicle which amounts to nearly $4.6 billion in fines. Below is a statement from the EPA. You can also visit the EPA website. These are the total vehicles that were affected:
Eight auxiliary emission control devices (listed below), were not disclosed by the EPA to FCA when the engines were certified. This suggests that the Clean Air Act was violated. Although the engines pass normal emissions testing, software can reduce the effectiveness of the emission system at high speeds and for longer periods. These eight devices give the following results:
These U.S. SUVs and trucks have been on the marketplace since 2014. The Vehicle and Fuels Lab, Ann Arbor, Michigan says that the vehicles “emit nitrogen dioxide in excess of what is required” due to the use of the devices. The EPA states that owners need not take immediate action as the vehicles can be driven legally and safely while an investigation is conducted. FCA US is disappointed by the EPA’s decision to issue a Notice of Violation regarding the emission control technology used in the company’s 2014-16 light duty 3.0-liter diesel engines. FCA US will work with the incoming government to present its case, resolve this matter fairly, and assure the EPA US and FCA US customers diesel-powered vehicles comply with all regulatory requirements. The FCA US diesel engines come with the most up-to-date emission control hardware, including selective catalytic removal (SCR). To meet EPA’s requirements for low NOx emissions, engine durability, performance, and fuel economy, every auto manufacturer must use different strategies to reduce tailpipe emissions. FCA US believes its emission control systems comply with the applicable requirements.FCA US spent many months providing detailed information to EPA and other governmental agencies. It also sought to explain its emission control technology to EPA officials. FCA US proposed a variety of solutions to address EPA’s concerns. These included extensive software modifications to our emission control strategies that could be applied immediately in these vehicles to improve their emissions performance. FCA US is looking forward to meeting with representatives from the new administration and the enforcement division of the EPA to show that FCA US’s emission control strategies are legally justified. This will allow them to prove that they are not “defeat device” under applicable regulations.
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