Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep Recalls: What Owners Should Do

Part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's civil penalties on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which could amount to $105 million, involve several programs for owners of affected Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles. If you have an older Jeep Liberty or Grand Cherokee, a late-model Ram or Dodge Dakota pickup truck or a 2009 Chrysler Aspen SUV or 2009 Dodge Durango SUV, this applies to you.

Related: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to Pay Up to $105 Million in Recall-Related Penalties

NHTSA's consent order requires FCA to conduct three separate programs, the most significant of which has the company buying back tens of thousands of trucks and SUVs from owners. None of the programs will apply to owners who already got their cars fixed for a fuel system recall on the Jeeps or a suspension or steering system recall on the others.

• The first program is a $100 incentive for Jeep SUV owners to get their recalled vehicle fixed.
• The second is a trade-in bonus for a smaller group of SUVs.
• The third is the buyback program for certain Ram and Dodge pickup trucks plus the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango SUV.

How do I know if my car has been fixed for these specific recalls?
Find your car's vehicle identification number, which is usually etched in the windshield's lower driver's side corner, and enter it onto NHTSA's VIN search tool vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/vinLookup. If your vehicle has an open (that is, unfixed) recall under campaign numbers 13V-038, 13V-252, 13V-527 or 13V-529, then it's eligible for these offers. We strongly suggest you get the recall taken care of as soon as possible.

What cars will get the $100 incentive to have their recalls fixed?
The consent order requires FCA to offer $100 gift cards toward owners of these vehicles:

• 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs
• 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty SUVs

The Liberty and 1993-1998 Grand Cherokee are under a formal 2013 recall for problems in the fuel system that could cause fires in certain rear-end crashes.

The 1999-2004 Grand Cherokee is not under a formal recall, but NHTSA is requiring FCA to extend the $100 gift card to owners of those SUVs to have similar repairs made. A FCA spokesman said the company will repair these later Jeeps "as part of a customer satisfaction initiative" beginning in September.

Which cars get the trade-in bonus?
Only the 1993-1998 Grand Cherokee get the trade-in bonus offer. NHTSA's consent order requires FCA to offer $1,000 over market value for those SUVs "in lieu of accepting" the recall repair. The trade-in bonus must be used toward the purchase of another FCA vehicle or toward parts or service.

Can I spend the trade-in bonus on a used car?
NHTSA's order didn't specify whether the bonus applies to new cars only or both new and used. We asked FCA spokesman Eric Mayne, and he said the automaker is "still developing the program details."

Which cars are in the buyback program?
The buyback program applies to the following vehicles:

• 2009-2012 Ram 1500 pickup trucks built from Feb. 27, 2008, through June 30, 2009, and Dec. 1, 2009, through Oct. 20, 2011. These were recalled in 2013 for rear suspension problems.
• 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota pickups built from Feb. 27, 2007, through June 30, 2009, and Dec. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2011. These were recalled in 2013 for rear suspension problems.
• 2009 Dodge Durango SUVs built from Jan. 3. 2008, through Dec. 18, 2008. These were recalled in 2013 for rear suspension problems.
• 2009 Chrysler Aspen SUVs built from Jan. 3, 2008, to Dec. 18, 2008. These were recalled in 2013 for rear suspension problems.
• 2008-2012 Ram 4500 and 5500 heavy-duty trucks built from Feb. 20, 2007, through Dec. 22, 2012. These were recalled in 2013 for problems with the steering system.
• 2008-2012 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups with four-wheel drive, recalled in 2013 for problems with the steering system.
• 2008-2012 Ram 3500 chassis-cab pickups with rear-wheel drive, recalled in 2013 for problems with the steering system.
• 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Mega Cab pickups with four-wheel drive, recalled in 2013 for problems with the steering system.

You can usually find the build date by month on a sticker around the driver's doorjamb. FCA has 60 days to notify owners of the buyback offer, NHTSA says.

How much will I get for my car?
According to NHTSA, the buyback program requires FCA to give a refund of the purchase price minus depreciation plus an additional 10 percent.

What if I modified my vehicle? Will the modifications be refunded in the buyback program?
Not unless they were on the car when it was new. Any modifications made after the vehicle's retail sale won't be calculated into the purchase price, according to NHTSA.

Will these repurchased cars end up in circulation?
Some will. FCA "may remedy and resell any vehicle repurchased" under the buyback program, according to NHTSA's consent order. The automaker intends to do that for the vehicles it will buy back, Mayne said. But it won't do so for the cars that got the trade-in bonus because "they are, many of them, over 20 years old," he said. "It doesn't make economic sense to do that."

Can FCA dealers still sell unfixed vehicles?
That's unclear, as it's "subject to regulation," Mayne said. But NHTSA's order requires FCA to "develop and implement a process to deter dealer sales of unremedied vehicles subject to recall." That process must include dealer training and financial penalties from FCA.