Fiat Chrysler acknowledges it was late on five recalls

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles yesterday acknowledged in a filing that it had been late in notifying customers of five safety recall campaigns.

The company said it told the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it exceeded the 60-day limit of notifying owners of the recall with the late notifications ranging from a day to 12 days.

The company was responding to the NHTSA, which had set 2 July as the date for hearing into alleged delays on the part of the company on 20 recalls involving 11 million vehicles.

The automaker's response to specific questions posed by the regulator came in an 18-page document.

In a comment following the posting of the response on NHTSA's website, the company said, "The initiatives described in our response to NHTSA's Special Order reflect a deep commitment to thorough investigation and the timely remedy of safety defects. While this commitment has helped FCA US achieve positive results, we will not be satisfied until we firmly re-establish the trust our customers place in us."

According to the FCA, its officials thought the company was sufficiently active in its recall efforts to warrant canceling the 2 July hearing, while the NHTSA spokesman it would proceed as scheduled.