CHRYSLER confirmed overnight the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had launched a probe into the fuel tanks of over three million Jeep Grand Cherokees that are suspected of fire vulnerability in crashes.
The investigation of the 1993 to 2004 SUV models was launched after the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) petitioned the NHTSA suggesting the fuel tank's design and location leads to fires in the event of a car crash and other defects.
"The design is so bad that Chrysler frequently settles lawsuits without extensive discover and subject confidentiality agreements," CSA Executive Director Clarence M. Ditlow wrote in the petition to the NHTSA.
The petition cited documentation of 172 fatal fire crashes with 254 fatalities on the models under question. CAS also stated record of "at least 44 crashes with 64 total fatalities where fire was entered as the most harmful event."
A preliminary investigation conducted by the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) determined "further review and investigation into these incidents is needed to determine the existence of any relationship between the alleged defect and each fire or leak."
According to a statement from Chrysler spokesman Mike Palese, the company "is cooperating fully with NHTSA regarding [the] investigation," while emphasising that a recall has not been issued.
Palese also said the "1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee meets or exceeds all applicable federal safety standards and has an excellent safety record."
The 2005 model Grand Cherokee's fuel tank was relocated, and the CAS petition cites a single incident of fatal fire in the redesigned version.
Separately the NHTSA announced an investigation into more than 1.1 million Toyotas reportedly suffering from engine problems.
Read more:
http://www.news.com.au/business/chry...#ixzz0xZF7Fro1
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