Small fraction of Jeeps fixed two years after recall

DETROIT – Nearly two years after agreeing to recall 1.56 million older Jeeps that could catch fire in rear-end crashes, the maker of the vehicles has repaired only a fraction of the Jeeps covered by the recall, according to documents filed with federal safety regulators.

Fiat Chrysler U.S. has fixed just 4 percent of the Grand Cherokees and 27 percent of the Libertys that were recalled.

The Jeep repair rate of Fiat Chrysler U.S. is far below the average of 75 percent 1 1/2 years after a recall is announced, and it could set up another confrontation between Chrysler, which makes Jeeps, and the government.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been sparring with Chrysler for more than a year over repair rates for the recall, which involves installing trailer hitches to help protect the Jeeps’ gas tanks in a rear-end crash.

The tanks are mounted behind the rear axle and have little structure to protect them if struck from behind. Federal documents show at least 75 people have died in post-crash fires blamed on the tanks.

Mark Rosekind, head of the NHTSA, told reporters last week the agency will closely monitor Chrysler’s first-quarter repair rates and said NHTSA wants 100 percent completion.

“When those show up, we can come out publicly with a few other things,” he said.e

The agency may reopen an investigation into the Jeep fires that ended in June 2013 with an agreement to install the trailer hitches, Rosekind said.

NHTSA has authority to fine automakers a maximum of $35 million if they do not cooperate or finish recalls in a timely manner. But there’s no set deadline for completion.

Chrysler spokesman Eric Mayne said in an email the company has repaired 9 percent of the 1993-98 Grand Cherokees and 36 percent of the 2002-07 Libertys. The company’s numbers are higher than NHTSA’s because Chrysler uses the percentage of vehicles still registered and on the road, while the agency counts the percentage repaired of the total number manufactured, Mayne said.

But in a letter to dealers dated Monday, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles U.S. gave the lower rates. It told dealers they should make every effort to do the repairs on all eligible vehicles that are in for service, and the completion rates “have not met expectations.” Dealers also shouldn’t sell any used Jeeps before recall repairs are done, the letter said.