US probes reported defect in 3 mn Jeep vehicles

NEW YORK: US authorities said Tuesday they have launched an investigation into a report of defective fuel tank systems in some three million Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles of the Chrysler group.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched the probe into reports of "defective fuel tank storage systems that present a fire hazard in crashes" in vehicles manufactured between 1993 and 2004, it said in a statement.

The reported malfunction affects more than three million vehicles, it said.

Preliminary examination of data showed that of nearly 3,000 occupants of Jeep Grand Cherokee who had been killed since 1992, "55 died in 44 crashes where fire was listed as the most harmful event." "The existence of these post-crash fires does not, by itself, establish a defect trend," it added.

A spokesman for Chrysler said that the car manufacturer "is cooperating fully with NHTSA regarding an investigation into 1993-2004 model year Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles."