Fiat Chrysler won't face criminal referral in recalls - The Detroit News
Washington — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV will not face a criminal investigation after its record $105 million settlement in the government’s review of safety problems in 23 recall campaigns involving more than 11 million vehicles. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said regulators had not referred Fiat Chrysler to the Justice Department for a criminal investigation, even though the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration accused Fiat Chrysler of misleading the... Separately, Fiat Chrysler said about 193,000 recalled trucks and SUVs are eligible for a buyback under the settlement — not the 578,000 reported Sunday by NHTSA. But under the terms of the agreement with the government, the automaker can resell those vehicles after making repairs, so it is impossible to know what the company’s net costs will be. Fiat Chrysler said it didn’t think the costs would be... Still, the Italian-American automaker’s $105 million settlement tops the company’s $101 million in net first-quarter profits. And it has had hefty recall costs in the past: Last year Fiat Chrysler took a $140 million charge against first-quarter earnings for nearly 870,000 SUVs with brake problems. Source: www.detroitnews.com
