That number includes certain 2006 Jeep Wranglers and Libertys and select 2006 Dodge Vipers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, if you own one of those vehicles, you may hear a noise when you press down on your clutch pedal. That means the springs inside your clutch pedal position switch, which keeps a vehicle with a manual gearbox from starting unless the clutch pedal is depressed, are broken. If they are, your Jeep may not start at all (the most likely scenario) or start without you engaging the clutch.
If your Jeep or Viper is part of the recall, FCA will mail you a notice in June. Unfortunately, the company currently doesn’t have enough replacement parts in stock. When it does, you’ll get a second notice telling you you can take your vehicle in for recall service. The good news is FCA will reimburse you if you’ve already had this issue fixed.
For more information, call FCA customer service at 800-853-1403 and mention recall #R13. You can also dial the NHTSA at 888-327-4236 and ask about safety campaign 15V222000.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
