Federal regulators hit Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV with a record $105 million fine for recall lapses covering millions of vehicles, adding to mounting scrutiny of the automaker’s safety practices, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration slapped the Italian-U.S. company with the financial penalty and assigned an independent monitor to audit the company’s recall processes for up to four years as part of a sweeping settlement unveiled Sunday evening. In some cases, the automaker agreed to repurchase recalled automobiles as part of the deal, including more than half a million with defective suspension parts that can cause the vehicle to lose control.
