DETROIT (AP) – Fiat Chrysler’s safety chief is retiring from the company after a tumultuous year of conflict with U.S. government regulators.
The company said in a statement that Scott Kunselman will step down Nov. 30 as senior vice president of safety and regulatory affairs. A successor will be named later.
The move comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in July hit Chrysler with a record $105 million penalty for violating laws in 23 recalls covering more than 11 million vehicles. The company admitted in an agreement with the agency that it failed to do recalls or notify customers in a timely manner, didn’t fix recalls properly and failed to report safety information to NHTSA.
The company also is under investigation for failing to report some deaths and injuries to the agency as required by law. NHTSA said its investigators found a discrepancy in reporting by Fiat Chrysler and notified the company in late July. FCA investigated and told the agency it found a lot of under-reporting.
“This represents a significant failure to meet a manufacturer’s safety responsibilities,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said at the time.