EPA Accuses Fiat Chrysler of Using Defeat Devices in Diesel Trucks
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The vehicles in question are MY 2014, 2015, and 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500 pickups that have FCA’s 3.0-liter diesel under the hood.
The EPA and California Air Resources Board (CARB) told the automaker that they believe its auxiliary emissions control software allowed many of these vehicles to create excess nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other pollutants and violate the law.
"Failing to disclose software that affects emissions in a vehicle’s engine is a serious violation of the law," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s office of enforcement and compliance assurance, in a statement. "We continue to investigate the nature and impact of these devices. All automakers must play by the same rules, and we will continue to hold companies accountable that gain an unfair and illegal competitive advantage."
She added during the press conference that "the notice of violation describes the civil penalty provisions of the law that may apply. So the statute provides for civil penalties of up to $44,539 per vehicle sold for the violations that are alleged in the Notice of Violation."
The potential penalty to Fiat Chrysler could be $1.6 billion.
These accusations are similar to the ones against Volkswagen last summer when the German automaker was found to have violated diesel emissions testing with electronic "defeat devices."
