Is Chrysler Playing Russian Roulette By Telling The NHTSA To Shove Their Recall?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, after a lengthy probe into rear-end collisions in which at least 51 people died, asked Chrysler Group LLC to recall 2.7 million Jeeps it believes are at risk of a fuel tank fire.

But Chrysler refused Tuesday, standing by the safety of its SUVs.

According to NHTSA's tentative assessment, plastic gas tanks behind the axles of 1993-2004 Grand Cherokees and 2002-07 Libertys can be punctured and catch fire when the SUVs are hit from behind.

Chrysler, which moved the gas tank location in later Jeep models, says the former design is safe and the automaker "does not intend to recall the vehicles."

"The subject vehicles are safe and are not defective," Chrysler said in a statement issued Tuesday. "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."