Fiat->ke30 Chrysler->ke21 is issuing a recall->ke5153 for 2011-through-2015 Dodge Journey->ke2848 with the 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. The decorative engine cover may disengage from its retainers and move around inside the engine bay. In the event the cover contacts the exhaust manifold, it can lead to a fire in the engine bay. The recall also applies to the Fiat Freemont->ke3757 – a rebadged version of the Journey that is sold outside of the U.S. market. There is a total of 349,731 vehicles included in the recall, with 144,416 in the U.S. alone. Another 46,231 were sold in Mexico and 43,679 in Canada. The remaining 115,405 were sold in various markets outside of North America. The problem was discovered after three vehicles burned while traveling on rough roads in Chile, South America.

If you own a Journey and you’re the original owner, Fiat Chrysler will contact you by mail to let you know your vehicle is part of the recall. If you are not the original owner or if you don’t want to wait for the notice, you can visit http://recalls.mopar.com and enter your vehicle’s VIN to check for any applicable recalls. Chrysler plans to fix the potential problem free of charge by installing better retainers for the engine cover. The recall No. is R32 and is planned to begin on August 26, 2015.

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Why it matters

I have to say this is likely another one of those cases where cutting pennies on production costs led to yet another recall from the automotive industry. To date, only three confirmed fires have been reported. I think the best practice here – just to be on the safe side – is to remove the engine cover temporarily until you can arrange to have the repair performed at your local Chrysler dealer.

You're probably tired of reading about all the recalls we've reported on lately. We're certainly tired of writing about them. But the bottom line is that the automotive industry is in serious trouble.

We're headed for yet another record-breaking year for recalls. What's going on? Does the relatively recent trend of parts, platform and technology-sharing between manufacturers also mean shared (read: no) responsibility? The general idea is cost-saving, but what price safety?

Personally, I think manufacturers should be forced to pay customers at least $1,000, on top of the repair costs, for any recall. Perhaps when their bottom lines are at risk, they'll be more careful.

Let me know what you think.

2013 Dodge Journey

Read our full review here.