Chrysler Refuses Recall despite Fiery Crashes by Jeep Grand Cherokees

From 3arf

In the first time since 1996, the Chrysler Group is refusing to recall vehicles after a recommendation to do so by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The government has suggested that the design of gas tanks on Jeep Grand Cherokees from 1993 to 2004 and the Jeep Liberty from 2002 to 2007 are unsafe.According toCNN, the Center for Auto Safety, a public safety interest group in Washington, DC, noted the risk for a fire in a Jeep Grand Cherokee was 20 times that of a comparable Ford Explorer. To date, there have been more than 200 crashes with fires,with more than 275 deaths, resulting from Jeep Grand Cherokee rear-end collisions.The Center for Auto Safety also notes that current Jeep Cherokees and Liberty's have redesigned systems, which do not present the same risk to drivers.What the NHTSA saysThe recall suggestion stemming from the NHTSA was first brought to the attention of the government by the Center for Auto Safety. The organization repeatedly contacted Chrysler on its own about a voluntary recall, according toABC News. Noted its Executive Director Clarence Ditlow, they had little choice but to contact the government after Chrysler refused to act. The Center for Auto Safety then contacted the NHTSA, noting in theirletter, “The only way to prevent more fire deaths is for NHTSA to order a mandatory safety recall and require Chrysler to design an effective remedy.”According to the group, adding a “3 millimeter steel skid, a fuel tank check valve and a better fuel filter hose” would address the problem. This would cost Chrysler about $300 million to install in recalled vehicles.What Chrysler saysFor its part, the company argues that the gas tank location (behind the rear axle) was a design commonly accepted for the time. It also suggests that the nature of the fiery accidents cited were the result of high speed collisions, in which a different design would unlikely to have made any difference in the outcome.In a statement by Chrysler, which is now owned by Fiat, thecar company noted, “We believe NHTSA’s initial conclusions are based on an incomplete analysis of the underlying data, and we are committed to continue working with the agency to resolve this disagreement.”

However, the company believes that the government is holding it to a “new standard,” which is unfair.What the analysts sayPerhaps what is driving the automaker to refuse the recall, however, is neither the cost nor the safety record, but the likely impact on the bottom line over time. Noted Edmunds Auto ExpertMichelle Krebs, “Yes, it costs a lot of money to fix and it’s a lot of vehicles, but it can cost a lot of money in terms of future sales.” She points out that it was just such a recall problem that knocked Toyota out of its Number 1 position. According toABC News, Chrysler has had 52 recalls in the past three years.PositedKrebs, “Can Chrysler bounce back with its already fragile reputation on quality? It’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

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