Chrysler agrees to recall 2.7 million Jeeps to fix potential fire flaw

Less than two weeks ago, Chrysler announced it was rejecting a call by U.S. auto safety regulators to recall 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokees and Liberty SUVs over concerns of fires in rear crashes, releasing a detailed rebuttal that contended the vehicles were safe.

Today, on a deadline set by the government, Chrysler reversed itself. It announced it would recall all the vehicles the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had asked for and make modifications to those judged to be at risk — with a low-tech fix.

The recall covers 1993-2004 Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Liberty SUVs with plastic gas tanks built behind the rear axle, a design NHTSA had linked to 51 deaths by fire, a rate higher than for other SUVs. Chrysler did not immediately detail when it would begin, but said in a statement that it would inspect the SUVs and "if necessary, provide an upgrade to the rear structure of the vehicle to better manage crash forces in low-speed impacts."