Chrysler caved to a government request to recall 2.7 million Jeeps just hours before a deadline. The Jeep maker had said last week it would not comply with the recall, saying the vehicles do not have a high risk of catching on fire when hit from behind.
In their statement today, Chrysler said it would recall the Jeeps for inspection and in will “provide an upgrade to the rear structure of the vehicle to better manage crash forces in low-speed impacts” in “some cases.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was pleased with the recall and said, “Chrysler has agreed to take action to protect its customers and the driving public.”
Under the recall agreement, Chrysler will not have to repair all recalled Jeeps. It will not install a steel plate over the plastic gas tank that public interest groups have been calling for. Instead, Chrysler will install a factory trailer hitch to provide some protection in low-speed, rear-end collision.
Chrysler agreed to the recall today in order to avoid high profile public hearings. Testimony from car safety advocates and parents of children who burned to death in car fires would have occurred.
Had these hearings occurred, Chrysler’s quality perception would have taken a massive hit.
It is rare for an automaker to fight the NHTSA on a recall. Chrysler did fight the administration over a recall in 1996 and won, an even rarer occurrence.
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