The current problems we face as car owners continue to pile up as the number of recalls increases.

In spite of the issues our vehicles experience due to equipment failure and other problems, many go unnoticed mostly because the automakers do not investigate certain reports. According to a series of news sources, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has recently claimed that it could be closer to deciding whether it will relaunch a probe into older Jeep models that have been associated with fiery rear-end crashes.

The federal agency has also claimed that once it reopens the probe, agents will be much more aggressive than before. Whether the company agrees with the approach or not.

After Recall, Chrysler Car Problems Remain Largely Unaddressed

According to the NHTSA head, the issues revolving around the older Jeep car models are getting worse. Jeep vehicles have been involved in more fatalities due to fires, even after several models were recalled about two years ago. As the federal agency studies how it should approach this issue, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty models impacted continue to expose consumers to needless risks.

In order to address the issue that was named in the latest recalls, Chrysler has been installing trailer hitches on the backs of several of the impacted vehicles. The issue is mainly that millions of Jeeps come with fuel tanks that are fitted behind the rear axle. To the company, adding the trailer hitches will add protection to the occupants since it may keep any rear-end collision from causing the fuel tank to explode.

Only 4 percent of all impacted Grand Cherokee vehicles have been repaired so far while 27 per cent of the Liberty cars were repaired. Units impacted by the recall include the 1993 through 2007 models. The main issue with the recall campaign is that the repair pace is too slow. Even after the recall campaign was launched, the number of vehicles that were recalled and repaired two years later is just too low. The company’s inefficiency in making sure dealers are keeping up and having the problems addressed is a problem that is now concerning federal agents.

According to news sources, the company consults with the NHTSA and is now pushing dealers to step up their efforts to have the problems addressed.

On top of the 1.56 million Jeep cars impacted by this recall, there are one million others that had been associated with the “customer satisfaction campaign” launched by Chrysler that affects the 1999 Grand Cherokee vehicles. The campaign was launched after an accident involving a rear-ended Grand Cherokee resulted in a fire that caused the death of a 4-year-old. The accident took place in Georgia.

According to a jury that reviewed the case, the car crash is the responsibility of Chrysler. Due to the company’s negligence, the family received $150 million in legal damages. In spite of the jury’s conclusion, the company is considering to appeal the verdict.

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