Fiat Chrysler to recall 1,200 Jeep Compass units in India over airbag snag

Affected units manufactured between Sept 5 and Nov 19 of 2017

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) India on Thursday said it is recalling around 1,200 units of its latest SUV, Jeep Compass for replacement of front passenger airbag.

The affected units are manufactured between September 5 and November 19, 2017.

The recall is part of an exercise that FCA US LLC has initiated, the company said in a statement.

"A supplier has advised FCA that, during its airbag module assembly process, loose fasteners may have inadvertently found their way undetected into a small number of modules," the company said without disclosing the supplier.

The recalled units in India are already retailed to customers. The number of affected Jeep Compass SUVs is expected to be less than 1 per cent of the total recall population, it added.

However, should such a vehicle be subject to an impact that causes the front passenger airbag to deploy, loose fasteners may pose a hazard, the company said.

"Thus, FCA India will replace the passenger airbag on an estimated 1,200 Jeep Compass SUVs to eliminate this concern," it said.

While stating that so far the company was unaware of any related injuries, accidents, warranty claims or complaints, FCA India, however, asked customers of affected vehicles to refrain from using front passenger seat until the situation is remedied.

The company and its dealers will directly contact customers in the coming week to replace the faulty airbag free of cost, it said.