Safety advocate asks gov't to reopen Jeep fire investigation

DETROIT (AP) — An auto safety advocate is calling on the government to reopen an investigation of rear-crash fires in older Jeep SUVs after finding at least 11 more deaths since the vehicles were recalled.

The deaths show that the recall repair — installing a trailer hitch to protect gas tanks in low-speed crashes — hasn't been effective, said Clarence Ditlow, head of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety.

Ditlow said he found a total of 19 fire deaths in older Jeeps in a fatal accident database maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Fiat Chrysler maintains that the Jeeps are just as safe as comparable vehicles from the same era when weighted by years of vehicle operation.

Fiat Chrysler, after sparring with NHTSA over the pace of recall repairs, agreed last July to make trade-in offers to the Jeep owners or pay them to have the hitches installed.