NHTSA Tells Chrysler to Speed Up Fuel Tank Fixes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has advised Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV to accelerate its effort to repair Jeep SUVs linked to fuel tank fires.

Deputy Administrator David Friedman says he sent a stern letter to CEO Sergio Marchionne earlier this week ordering the company to "get their act in gear." The letter followed the death of a woman in Detroit after her 2003 Jeep Liberty was rear-ended on an expressway and burst into flames. The car was part of the recall but had not been repaired.

After initially protesting, Chrysler agreed in 2013 to recall 1.6 million Liberty and Grand Cherokee Jeeps and retrofit them with trailer hitches. The fix is intended to provide more shielding for the fuel tank, which is mounted between the rear bumper and rear axle.

FCA has told NHTSA it has nearly 400,000 hitches in stock. But consumers have complained that dealers claim they either don't have the parts or won't install them. Some owners have reported that dealers demand they pay to repair frame corrosion before the hitch can be properly installed.