Fiat Chrysler vehicle owners are being warned not to use their vehicle’s cruise control for the time being after it was discovered that in rare cases the function cannot be turned off.
The company stated that the issue can occur when the cruise control causes the vehicle to accelerate at the same time as an electric short-circuit occurs, according to the Associated Press. Beginning early next week, Fiat Chrysler will be notifying customers and recalling 4.8 million vehicles in the U.S. and urging drivers to not use cruise control until the problem can be fixed via software update.
The flaw was initially discovered after Fiat Chrysler, which is also known as FCA, tested the vehicles’ computer network. The company has not received reports of related crashes or injuries, according to the AP.
The affected vehicles can still be stopped by using the brakes, as well as by shifting the transmission into neutral, but turning off the cruise control button or tapping the brakes will not work, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states.
In a consumer advisory, the NHTSA noted that the affected vehicles range from 2014 to 2018 and include four Dodge models, six Ram models, three Jeep models and three Chrysler models. Vehicle owners are being urged by the NHTSA to contact Fiat Chrysler at (866) 220-6747 for further information. Issues can also be reported to the NHTSA at (888) 327-4236 or at NHTSA.gov.
The cruise control flaw is far from the first issue to lead to a major FCA recall in North America. In December 2017, the company recalled nearly 1.8 million Ram trucks after it was found that the vehicles could begin rolling without the key being inserted into the ignition or the driver’s foot on the brake, stemming from a flaw in the vehicle’s steering column shifter. And, in September 2017, FCA recalled approximately 444,000 heavy-duty pickup trucks and medium trucks after it was reported that the vehicles’ water pump could overheat and possibly start a fire.
