Fiat Chrysler recalls 710,000 SUVs for brake issue

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's U.S. arm said on Tuesday it is recalling nearly 710,000 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to check shields that protect brake boosters for proper installation.

FCA US was aware of a single potentially related accident, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. (http://bit.ly/2yUtxSm)

The shields are designed to protect the boosters from corrosion caused by water exposure. In case a booster is compromised by water it would cause excessive brake-pedal firmness, the automaker said.

The shields were originally installed in conjunction with a 2014 recall involving the same set of vehicles, nearly 95 percent of which have been serviced, the automaker said.

The affected vehicles are model year 2011-2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs.

Fiat Chrysler said the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in February asked about the status of some vehicles and whether they had been repaired under the 2014 recall.

Over the last six months, the company has conducted extensive testing of braking issues before deciding on the new recall.

Fiat Chrysler said it has received 10,053 warranty claims from the vehicles involved in the recall.

(Reporting by Arunima Banerjee in Bengaluru and David Shepardson in Washington; editing by Bernard Orr and G Crosse)