Car Maker Faces Probe Over Fire Risk

Federal regulators are investigating whether DaimlerChrysler Corp. concealed information about a defect involving fuel leaks that could cause engine fires in some Chrysler, Dodge and Eagle Vision cars.

After two investigations into the leaks by a federal safety agency, the company in December recalled more than 900,000 Chrysler LHS, Dodge Intrepid and Eagle Vision cars from model years 1993 through 1997.

At the time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had more than 600 consumer complaints about fuel leaking from the fuel rail assembly, which supplies fuel to the engine. Fuel dripped onto the engine, customers said, and the NHTSA received 17 reports of engines catching fire, allegedly leading to injuries in two cases.

NHTSA officials are evaluating whether DaimlerChrysler failed to notify the agency “in a timely manner” about the safety defect. They also question whether the company turned over all relevant documents and completely answered questions during the investigations, according to an Associated Press review of agency documents and correspondence with the company.

DaimlerChrysler said Friday that it had turned over all relevant information.

“We feel we acted entirely properly during the course of the investigation,” said Lewis Goldfarb, the company’s associate general counsel.

Regulators have sent DaimlerChrysler a rare “special order” letter that forces the auto maker to make sworn declarations about whether it concealed knowledge.