US auto safety regulators fined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles $70 million for failing to report key safety data to regulators on death and injury claims linked to their vehicles.
The penalty is an amendment to an earlier $105 million fine on Fiat Chrysler over its poor handling of auto recalls, taking the total in the enforcement case to $175 million, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Fiat Chrysler acknowledged earlier this fall that it failed to provide early warning data to regulators over a period of several years. That data - which includes deaths, injuries, warranty claims and consumer complaints - helps the government identify potential vehicle defects.
Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that it accepts the penalty and pledged to change procedures to ensure proper reporting. It is also commissioning a third-party audit to ensure compliance with the law and to determine the full extent of the reporting failures.
Fiat Chrysler must turn over all crash reports it failed to disclose within six months.
