Chrysler said on Tuesday that it has agreed to recall 2.7 million jeep vehicles that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said could potentially erupt into fire if rear-ended, NBC News reported. This represents a reversal by the car manufacturer, as two weeks ago, it announced it was rejecting a call by U.S. auto safety regulators to recall 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokees and Liberty SUVs.
The recall covers 1993-2004 Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Liberty SUVs with plastic gas tanks built behind the rear axle, a design NHTSA had linked to 51 deaths by fire, a rate higher than for other SUVs.
Chrysler did not indicate when it would begin, but said in a statement that it would inspect the SUVs and "if necessary, provide an upgrade to the rear structure of the vehicle to better manage crash forces in low-speed impacts."
It had been suggested Chrysler could easily bolt on a protective plate underneath the tanks for added protection in crashes. Instead, Chrysler will look for a factory or Chrysler-sold trailer hitch; if the SUV doesn't have one, it will add one at no cost, which the automaker says will minimize the chance the tank can be punctured in a rear-end collision, according to insiders.
Chrysler said its data "confirms that these vehicles are not defective and are among the safest in the peer group. Nonetheless, Chrysler Group recognizes that this matter has raised concerns for its customers and wants to take further steps, in coordination with NHTSA, to provide additional measures to supplement the safety of its vehicles."
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