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NHTSA Rejects Request to Probe FCA Engine Stall Claim

U.S. safety officials have rejected a request from the Center for Auto Safety to investigate engine stalling and no-start problems in nearly 5 million trucks, minivans and SUVs made by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.
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U.S. safety officials have rejected a request from the Center for Auto Safety to investigate engine stalling and no-start problems in nearly 5 million trucks, minivans and SUVs made by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.

The consumer advocacy group claims an electric power control module installed in the vehicles since 2007 can fail, causing vehicles to stall in traffic, prevent airbags from deploying, spark a fire and/or trigger unintended acceleration.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says two earlier recalls that replaced faulty fuel pump relays in nearly 527,000 of FCA's 2011-2013 model Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs appear to have fixed the engine stalling problems.

NHTSA dismisses as "wholly without merit" the center's complaint of a power control module defect or claims of additional safety problems affecting a broader array of vehicles. The agency says its review of field data found no evidence to support the complaints. NHTSA concludes that launching a new investigation was unlikely to uncover broader safety defects.

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