Jeep recall prompts safety concerns

Chrysler, U.S. scaled back number of SUVs targeted in rear-end fire fix

Friday, June 28, 2013

DETROIT - A deal between the government and Chrysler over Jeeps linked to deadly fires doesn’t seem to be sitting well with many Jeep owners and auto-safety advocates.

In early June, after a nearly three-year investigation, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration recommended that Chrysler recall 2.7 million older Jeep sport utility vehicles because the fuel tanks could rupture, leak and cause fires in rear-end crashes.

But last week, after talks between outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne, the agency compromised, letting Chrysler limit the recall to about 1.5 million vehicles.

The agreement removed about 1.2 million Jeep Grand Cherokees, model years 1999 to 2004, from the recall, leaving some owners confused about the safety of their vehicles. Chrysler argued that those Jeeps have a different design than the ones it agreed to recall and are as safe as comparable models from other automakers.

The about-face has confused people like Els Sipkes, a photographer from near Charleston, S.C. Her 2000 Grand Cherokee isn’t being recalled, although the government initially said it should be.

She said that every time she stops quickly, she checks her rear-view mirror. “It’s in my mind that if a car crashes into the back of me, that I’ve got to be on my toes and I’ve got to get out,” she said.

Chrysler won’t comment on the recall beyond the documents it filed with the safety agency outlining its case.

Sean Kane, a frequent critic of the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration who leads a safety research company in Massachusetts, said the number of vehicles cut from the Jeep recall is unusual. But the agency frequently negotiates the size of recalls with car companies, he said.

David Kelly, former safety agency chief of staff and acting administrator under President George W. Bush, said Chrysler probably presented data justifying the smaller recall.

However, critics say all the Jeeps should be recalled. And they question whether Chrysler’s solution of adding a trailer hitch as an extra buffer in the back is enough to prevent deadly fires.

Under the recall Chrysler will install hitches free of charge on any Grand Cherokees from 1993-98 and Libertys from 2002-07 that don’t already have them from the factory. Chrysler will inspect those with hitches purchased elsewhere.

The 1999-2004 Grand Cherokees are part of a “customer service campaign” under which a Chrysler dealer will inspect a trailer hitch installed after the car was purchased. But Chrysler won’t install a hitch on any of those vehicles that don’t already have one.

Chrysler Group LLC hasn’t disclosed how much the recall could cost.

On June 3, the government sent Chrysler a letter requesting a recall of all 2.7 million Grand Cherokees and Libertys in question. The letter included detailed statistics on crashes involving fuel tank fires in SUVs from model years 1993 to 2007. The agency said the data showed the Jeeps were more prone to fuel tank fires than similar models. The Jeeps have gas tanks behind the rear axle, a design that was fairly common when they were built but isn’t used much anymore. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration had evidence of 37 Jeep accidents that killed 51 people.

Chrysler argued that the vehicles were safe, but agreed to the smaller recall, it said, to improve the Jeeps’ safety.

Business, Pages 22 on 06/28/2013