Reversing course under government pressure, Chrysler Group LLC agreed Tuesday to recall 1.56 million older Jeep models for what federal safety regulators say are fire risks caused by gas tanks that leak after rear-end collisions. The government blames such collisions for the deaths of at least 51 people driving Jeep SUVs.But in a victory, the Auburn Hills automaker won’t have to recall all 2.7 million vehicles sought by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Instead, Chrysler will offer a customer service campaign for the additional 1.2 million vehicles that the government wanted it to recall. Earlier Tuesday, a Chrysler spokesman had said the company was recalling all 2.7 million vehicles originally sought by the NHTSA.
Also as part of the 11th-hour deal, Chrysler did not agree the vehicles were defective.
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