NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
200 reportsClear category filter26,000 miles · Feb 11, 2016
Power Train
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500 ABARTH. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CLUTCH FAILED AND PREVENTED THE TRANSMISSION FROM SHIFTING OUT OF GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIF…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500 ABARTH. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CLUTCH FAILED AND PREVENTED THE TRANSMISSION FROM SHIFTING OUT OF GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000.
NHTSA ODI #10825574
36,000 miles · Feb 1, 2016
Power Train
AT ABOUT 36,000 MILES IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO CHANGE GEARS AND THEN SHIFTER SUDDENLY BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL WHILE ON THE ROAD. GOT OFF THE ROAD AND CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO FIRST GEAR, AND WHEN TRYING TO REVERSE IT MADE A HORRIBLE GRINDING SOUND. CAR WAS IMMOBILE. TURNS OUT THAT SOME 2012 FIATS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE FAULT…
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AT ABOUT 36,000 MILES IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO CHANGE GEARS AND THEN SHIFTER SUDDENLY BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL WHILE ON THE ROAD. GOT OFF THE ROAD AND CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO FIRST GEAR, AND WHEN TRYING TO REVERSE IT MADE A HORRIBLE GRINDING SOUND. CAR WAS IMMOBILE. TURNS OUT THAT SOME 2012 FIATS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE FAULTY PRESSURE PLATES INSTALLED. DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS MY PRESSURE PLATE AND QUOTED A PRICE OF 1100+ AS THEY SAID CLUTCH IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I FOUGHT THAT AND FIAT CHRYSLER CORPORATION ENDED UP PAYING FOR THE NEW CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. A PHOTO OF PRESSURE PLATE WERE EMAILED BY DEALER WITH THE NOTE: AS YOU CAN SEE HERE IN THE PICTURE THE FINGERS FOR THE PRESSURE PLATE ARE BENT IN 3 PLACES CAUSING THE ISSUE YOU ARE EXPERIENCING. THE GOOD NEWS IS I HAVE SPOKEN WITH ERICKA FROM FIAT CHRYSLER HEADQUARTERS AND THIS WILL BE WARRANTIED BY THEM AT NO COST TO YOU FOR THE PARTS, LABOR OR RENTAL.
NHTSA ODI #10823363
60,000 miles · Jan 15, 2016
Power Train
WHILE IN MOTION (1ST GEAR) AND ABOUT TO SHIFT INTO SECOND THE CLUTCH BECAME COMPLETELY FROZEN AND THE SHIFT LEVER WAS UNABLE TO MOVE GEARS. THIS WAS WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE SHUT DOWN IN ORDER FOR THE SHIFTER TO BE PUT INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. NO PREVIOUS CLUTCH ISSUES WERE APPARENT.THE SE…
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WHILE IN MOTION (1ST GEAR) AND ABOUT TO SHIFT INTO SECOND THE CLUTCH BECAME COMPLETELY FROZEN AND THE SHIFT LEVER WAS UNABLE TO MOVE GEARS. THIS WAS WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE SHUT DOWN IN ORDER FOR THE SHIFTER TO BE PUT INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. NO PREVIOUS CLUTCH ISSUES WERE APPARENT.THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD US IT WAS A FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE AND CONSEQUENTLY THE SLAVE CYLINDER. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CLUTCH WAS NOT WORN BEYOND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR FOR THE MILEAGE SO THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY USER ERROR BUT DEFECTIVE PRESSURE PLATE. WE WERE TOLD THAT BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WAS OUT WE MIGHT AS WELL REPLACE THE CLUTCH BUT IT WAS NOT REQUIRED. TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS $1030.00 INCLUDING THE PRESSURE PLATE, SLAVE CYLINDER, CLUTCH AND LABOR. THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS 2012 FIAT 500'S BASED UPON OTHER OWNERS. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD FROM A DEFECTIVE PART. THE NEW PART HAS A NEW PART NUMBER BUT I WAS TOLD THIS HAS NO RELATION TO PRESSURE PLATE UPDATES EVEN THOUGH NEWER 500'S DON'T SEEM TO HAVE THE ISSUE. ALSO NOTICED WAS THE CARS CLUTCH FEELS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN IT DID UPON PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE IN 2012 THROUGH PRIOR TO THE REPAIR. NOW THE CLUTCH PEDAL EXHIBITS A COMPLETELY LOOSE FEELING WITHOUT TENSION AS IT DID THE PAST 4 YEARS.
NHTSA ODI #10820538
17,500 miles · Dec 10, 2015
Power Train
CLUTCH WOULD NOT DISENGAGE, COULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR FROM NEUTRAL,IN MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, HAD TO SHUT ENGINE OFF, PUT IN GEAR, START IN GEAR AND DROVE TO SAFE LOCATION[CITY STREET] [11/20/2015] [17,500 MILES ON CAR]$1400.00 FOR CLUTCH REPLACEMENT
NHTSA ODI #10809459
43,000 miles · Dec 3, 2015
Power Train
THE CLUTCH FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, PREVENTING THE CAR FROM SHIFTING GEARS -- FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR IN REGULAR, CITY-STREET TRAFFIC (LYNDALE AVE., IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN). AT THE MOMENT OF FAILURE, I HEARD/FELT A DISTINCT YET LIGHT "THUMP" AS I PRESSED DOWN ON THE CLUTCH PEDAL. THE CAR ONLY HAS 40K MILES ON IT.
NHTSA ODI #10808236
28,500 miles · Nov 30, 2015
Power Train
I WAS DRIVING ALONG AT ABOUT 30 MPH AND MY CLUTCH PEDAL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO PUSH IN AND I COULD NOT SHIFT. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO TURN INTO A PARKING LOT WHERE I COULD NOT PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR. ONCE THE CAR WAS OFF I COULD MOVE ABOUT THE GEARS BUT ONCE THE CAR WAS ON THE PEDAL WOULD NOT GO DOWN ALL THE WAY AND I COULD NOT G…
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I WAS DRIVING ALONG AT ABOUT 30 MPH AND MY CLUTCH PEDAL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO PUSH IN AND I COULD NOT SHIFT. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO TURN INTO A PARKING LOT WHERE I COULD NOT PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR. ONCE THE CAR WAS OFF I COULD MOVE ABOUT THE GEARS BUT ONCE THE CAR WAS ON THE PEDAL WOULD NOT GO DOWN ALL THE WAY AND I COULD NOT GET IT INTO GEAR. THERE HAS BEEN ZERO SLIPPING OR GRINDING OF THE GEARS AND I HAVE LESS THAN 30,000 MILES. I AM CURRENTLY AWAITING IF MY WARRANTY WILL COVER THIS ISSUE. FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN ONLINE THE PRESSURE PLATE HAS BEEN CRACKED OUT WARPED SO I PLAN TO FIGHT TO HAVE THIS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. TO THINK THAT A CLUTCH WOULD GO OUT IN 2.5 YEARS AND UNDER 30,000 MILES IF CRAZY BUT WHEN I SPOKE WITH FIAT DEALERSHIP HE MADE IT SEEM THAT THEY SEE IT ALL THE TIME AND CUSTOMER CARE AT FIRST SAID THEY HAVE SEEN IT MULTIPLE TIMES....UPDATED 7/19/16*BF
NHTSA ODI #10807644
46,000 miles · Nov 11, 2015
Power Train
THE TRANSMISSION NEARLY FELL APART WHILE MEGING ON THE FREEWAY. I NOW NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION ON A CAR WITH 46,000 MILES ON IT.
NHTSA ODI #10789750
46,000 miles · Nov 2, 2015
Power Train
CLUTCH FAILURE IN TRAFFIC AFTER LEAVING A STOP LIGHT. NO PRIOR WARNING/SIGNS THAT THE CLUTCH WOULD FAIL (IE. NO SLIPPING). CAR STARTED IN FIRST JUST FINE, WENT TO SHIFT INTO SECOND AND THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. THE PEDAL WAS COMPLETELY STIFF AND WAS UNABLE TO BE PRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I THEN DRIFTED TO THE S…
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CLUTCH FAILURE IN TRAFFIC AFTER LEAVING A STOP LIGHT. NO PRIOR WARNING/SIGNS THAT THE CLUTCH WOULD FAIL (IE. NO SLIPPING). CAR STARTED IN FIRST JUST FINE, WENT TO SHIFT INTO SECOND AND THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. THE PEDAL WAS COMPLETELY STIFF AND WAS UNABLE TO BE PRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I THEN DRIFTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO STOP, THANKFULLY I WAS NOT GOING AT A HIGHER SPEED OTHERWISE THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY CAUSED A WRECK. AT THIS POINT IN TIME I TRIED TO SHIFT MY CAR INTO GEAR (WITH THE CAR OFF), BUT THE CLUTCH WOULDN'T EVEN ALLOW ANY GEARS TO ENGAGE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY HOME, AND THEN FIAT HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER OF MY CHOICE (I STILL HAD TO PAY FOR THE FIAT TOWING). I AM CURRENTLY PENDING A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE + FIX MY CAR, WHICH WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO BE PAYED OUT OF POCKET. THIS IS MOST LIKELY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT, AS HAS BEEN STATED IN NUMEROUS OTHER CLUTCH FAILURE REPORTS FOR THIS YEAR'S MAKE.
NHTSA ODI #10787653
30,000 miles · Oct 29, 2015
Power Train
I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY THOROUGHFARE AT AROUND 30 MPH WHEN MY CLUTCH SUDDENLY STIFFENED UP AND BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO ENGAGE. I TRIED IN VAIN TO SHIFT OUT OF THIRD GEAR AS I NEARED A STOPLIGHT, BUT THE GEAR STICK WOULDN'T BUDGE AND THE CAR ENDED UP STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I MANAGED AFTER A MINUTE TO YANK THE STICK IN…
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I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY THOROUGHFARE AT AROUND 30 MPH WHEN MY CLUTCH SUDDENLY STIFFENED UP AND BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO ENGAGE. I TRIED IN VAIN TO SHIFT OUT OF THIRD GEAR AS I NEARED A STOPLIGHT, BUT THE GEAR STICK WOULDN'T BUDGE AND THE CAR ENDED UP STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I MANAGED AFTER A MINUTE TO YANK THE STICK INTO NEUTRAL AND COAST DOWN A SMALL HILL INTO AN EMPTY PARKING SPACE. IN THE END, IT WAS A DEAD CLUTCH AFTER ONLY 30,000 MILES. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT HAD IT OCCURRED ON THE FREEWAY OR IN A BUSY INTERSECTION.
NHTSA ODI #10786897
46,000 miles · Oct 2, 2015
Power Train
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND A NEED TO SHIFT OCCURS, THE CLUTCH WILL LOCKUP, COMPLETELY FROZEN, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU PUSH, TO DEPRESS THE PEDAL MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT GEAR. THIS HAPPENS EVERY 20,000 MILES AND EACH TIME, DEALER SERVICE DEPT SAYS IT'S A "BENT PRESSURE PLATE". BUT FIAT CLASSIFIES …
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WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND A NEED TO SHIFT OCCURS, THE CLUTCH WILL LOCKUP, COMPLETELY FROZEN, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU PUSH, TO DEPRESS THE PEDAL MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT GEAR. THIS HAPPENS EVERY 20,000 MILES AND EACH TIME, DEALER SERVICE DEPT SAYS IT'S A "BENT PRESSURE PLATE". BUT FIAT CLASSIFIES THIS A "WEAR & TEAR" ITEM AND CANNOT HELP. DEALER SERVICE WANTS $2000 EACH TIME (THOUGH INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS LIKELY WOULD CHARGE LESS). THIS HAS ALREADY HAPPENED TWICE AND FIAT WILL NOT HELP. HARD TO BELIEVE THAT FIAT BELIEVES THIS IS NORMAL EXPECTED BEHAVIOR ON THEIR VEHICLES, FOR OWNERS TO HAVE TO FORK OUT $2000 EVERY 20,000 MILES FOR NEW PRESSURE PLATES. WHEN IT HAPPENS TO YOU, IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS DEPENDING WHERE YOU HAPPEN TO BE AT THE TIME. INTERNET SEARCHES FOR FIAT PRESSURE PLATE WILL SHOW A PATTERN OF THIS ISSUE, AND NO OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM FIAT.
NHTSA ODI #10779332
Official recalls
3Nov 15, 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Fiat 500 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The shifter cable bushing may fail allowing the cable to detach from the transmission.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the shifter cable detaches from the transmission, the transmission may not shift into the gear selected by the driver. Additionally, despite selecting PARK with the shifter, the vehicle may roll away. These scenarios may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable adjuster, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB4.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:floor Shift
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Fiat 500 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The shifter cable bushing may fail allowing the cable to detach from the transmission.
Consequence: If the shifter cable detaches from the transmission, the transmission may not shift into the gear selected by the driver. Additionally, despite selecting PARK with the shifter, the vehicle may roll away. These scenarios may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable adjuster, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB4.
Power Train:automatic Transmission
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Fiat 500 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The shifter cable bushing may fail allowing the cable to detach from the transmission.
Consequence: If the shifter cable detaches from the transmission, the transmission may not shift into the gear selected by the driver. Additionally, despite selecting PARK with the shifter, the vehicle may roll away. These scenarios may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable adjuster, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB4.
May 16, 2016
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2016 Fiat 500 vehicles manufactured June 21, 2010, through January 12, 2016, equipped with a manual transmission. The clutch diaphragm spring may fracture and fail, causing an inability to switch gears.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the clutch diaphragm spring fails, the driver may not be able to shift gears or the vehicle may lose motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The remedy for this recall will include the installation of a clutch pedal limiter and a clutch pedal switch. The recall began on November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S34.
Nov 10, 2011
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 DODGE JOURNEY AND FIAT 500 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 24, 2011, THROUGH OCTOBER 26, 2011. SOME VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH CONTAMINATED BRAKE FLUID AND MAY EXPERIENCE A DEGRADATION OF THE SEALING COMPONENTS WITHIN THE BRAKE SYSTEM.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE ALL BRAKE COMPONENTS THAT COME IN CONTACT WITH HYDRAULIC BRAKE FLUID. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 1, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA19001 · Electrical Overstress
Opened Apr 19, 2019 · Closed Sep 19, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications. The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU. In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment. FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle. Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW. These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes. An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time. In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU. This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners. Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW. The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation. The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage. There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation. The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU. If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC. Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC. All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled. In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024. With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
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