Fiat Chrysler Fined $70 Million For Hiding Deaths From Feds

U.S. auto safety regulators on Thursday fined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles $70 million for failing to report deaths and injury data in its vehicles, bringing the automaker’s total fines for safety-related issues this year to $175 million.

The fines, agreed to by Fiat Chrysler, come with requirements for the company to have an independent auditor oversee its safety defect reporting and make steps to improve its processes. Officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation say Fiat Chrysler failed to file what’s known as “early warning” data—everything from lawsuits and warranty claims to deadly crashes reported to the automaker—that can be used to spot vehicle defects.