Chrysler Refusal To Recall Was Based On NHSTA Request To Upgrade Vehicles To New Standard

Chrysler’s decision to recall Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty SUVs and reinforce them with a trailer hitch has failed to satisfy safety advocates and some Jeep owners.

The trailer hitch remedy was approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in negotiations over the last two weeks. On Tuesday, Chrysler relented to NHTSA’s request to modify 2.7 million older SUVs to address the risk of fires in rear-end collisions. Specifically, the agency said the placement of fuel tanks just behind the vehicles’ rear axles heightened the risk.