Chrysler recently announced a recall of 11,351 vehicles from models under the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge lines, built between mid-April and early May 2011. Those vehicles included in the recall under the Chrysler brand are the 200 series, and the Town & Country. Included under the Jeep brand are the Wrangler, Liberty, Compass, and Patriot. Included under the Dodge brand are the Caliber, Journey, Grand Caravan, Nitro and Avenger.
The problem lies within a defective steering column. A pivot rivet in the steering column is either improperly installed or missing, all together. This could cause a driver to lose control of the steering and crash leading to injury and damage to the vehicle. According to the NHTSA this incorrectly installed or missing rivet could “compromise the ability of the steering column to support the occupant loads” in a front-end collision, increasing the possibility of serious bodily injury.