Chrysler Group and Kia Motors face US safety investigations and potential recalls of about 353,000 vehicles because of engine fires, according to the Detroit Free Press (DFP).
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Citing information published on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) web site, the paper said the inquiries include about 300,000 of Chrysler’s 1999 and 2000 Dodge Stratus, Chrysler Cirrus and Plymouth Breeze cars and 52,824 of Kia’s 2003 Sedona minivans – the agency reportedly said it received 24 complaints of fires in the Chrysler cars and five in the Kia vans, with no accidents or injuries.
Chrysler, the third-largest U.S. automaker, is cooperating with the agency, company spokeswoman Curtrise Garner told the DFP.
The newspaper noted that both investigations are preliminary evaluations, the initial step in the Washington-based agency’s process – about 20% of such inquiries advance, and the rest are closed with a finding of no defect. Investigations that are upgraded lead to recalls about 70% of the time, the report added.
The NHTSA said reports of fires in the cars made by Chrysler Group came within the last two years and include 11 while the vehicles were being driven and 13 after they were parked for several minutes, the Detroit Free Press report said.
