The company also disputes NHTSA's findings that fatal fires happen more often on the Jeeps. It says fires after rear-end crashes involving Grand Cherokees are rare. None of the SUVs has been recalled, although the investigation could lead to that.Ĭhrysler, which manufactures Jeeps, says the vehicles are safe and meet federal safety standards. It has upgraded the investigation from preliminary status to an engineering analysis "to determine whether the subject vehicles contain a defect that presents an unreasonable risk to safety," NHTSA said in documents posted on its website. Cherokees, which are no longer made, are smaller than the Grand Cherokee.Īn analysis of crash data found that deaths from rear-impact crashes and fires occur more often on the three Jeep models than on comparable vehicles, the agency said. The investigation affects 1993 to 2004 Grand Cherokees as well as 1993-2001 Cherokees and 2002-2007 Liberty sport utility vehicles. The agency says 15 people have died in 26 Grand Cherokee fires. The tanks can be damaged in a rear-impact crash and leak, causing fires. The probe now covers an estimated 5.1 million vehicles and is focused on the SUVs' gas tanks, which are mounted between the bumper and rear axle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today that it has added Cherokee and Liberty models to the probe, which began nearly two years ago. Government safety regulators have expanded an investigation into gas tank fires in older-model Jeep Grand Cherokees.
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