agent Entrepreneur logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

U.S. Safety Regulators Open Probe Into New Jeep Cherokees After Fire

U.S. safety regulators said on Friday they have opened an investigation into an estimated 50,415 newer Jeep Cherokee SUVs, a key model for the profitability of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, after receiving complaints of engine compartment fires, reported Reuters. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it opened the preliminary evaluation into the 2015-model SUVs ... Read More »

January 20, 2015
2 min to read


U.S. safety regulators said on Friday they have opened an investigation into an estimated 50,415 newer Jeep Cherokee SUVs, a key model for the profitability of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, after receiving complaints of engine compartment fires, reported Reuters.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it opened the preliminary evaluation into the 2015-model SUVs after a consumer from the San Diego area filed a complaint that their Jeep was “engulfed in flames approximately 20 feet high within seconds of parking the vehicle.” There were no injuries reported.

Ad Loading...

The vehicle was purchased on Jan. 2 and the fire occurred two days later after the SUV had been driven less than 100 miles, according to the complaint filed by the consumer.

In another complaint filed on Jan. 5, the owner of a 2015 Cherokee noticed smoke under the hood while driving the newly purchased vehicle at 60 miles per hour.

In addition, NHTSA said it has identified field report data as part of the Early Warning Reporting program related to the alleged defect, so it opened the investigation to assess cause, scope and frequency of the alleged defect.

“We are aware of this incident and our investigators are cooperating fully with NHTSA’s preliminary evaluation,” Fiat Chrysler spokesman Eric Mayne said.

A preliminary investigation is the first step in a process that can lead to a recall if regulators determine that a manufacturer needs to address a safety issue.

Ad Loading...

The Cherokee, a new version of which was launched in 2013, is a critical part of Fiat Chrysler’s plan to boost profits globally by leveraging its Jeep brand.

NHTSA and Fiat Chrysler have disagreed before about fire risks in older Jeep SUVs. In November, the safety agency urged the automaker to speed up efforts to fix 1.56 million Jeep SUVs at risk of gas tank fires in a rear-end collision.

Fiat Chrysler, which had initially resisted the recall, stepped up its efforts, but has long maintained the SUVs were no more susceptible to fires after crashes than vehicles made by other automakers.

Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne said this week at the Detroit auto show that the auto industry has become more sensitive about recalls and if the trend continued the higher cost of recalls would be passed on to consumers.

More Industry

Hyundai logo and 40 Years in America in front of a starry background
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMarch 5, 2026

Hyundai Celebrates U.S. Milestone

The South Korean automaker said it supports 570,000 jobs in the U.S. with a planned investment of $26 billion between 2025 and 2028, according to President and CEO José Muñoz.

Read More →
Showroomby Lauren LawrenceMarch 4, 2026

Used-Vehicle Program Aims to Draw More Buyers

GM says more than 750 dealers across the U.S. are enrolled in CarBravo and that in January CarBravo dealers sold over two times the certified volume of Chevrolet, Buick and GMC dealers using traditional CPO.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellMarch 2, 2026

Meet the Editor: Hannah Mitchell

A longtime newspaper journalist, Bobit Dealer Group's editor was raised on news back in the South. Now she brings that news-hound ethic to our four auto retail magazines.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Summit Updatesby StaffMarch 2, 2026

Enhance Your Dealer's F&I Workflow at Agent Summit

This session is designed to equip general agents with actionable strategies that can help their dealers enhance the efficiency of financial services managers.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellMarch 2, 2026

Auto Brands Hold the Line on Retention

A flat national rate despite inflation and other financial challenges shows industry loyalty stability, annual Reynolds and Reynolds research finds.

Read More →
F&Iby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 27, 2026

Price Driving Insurance Churn

Over half of insurance holders ages 18 to 29 reported to be 'somewhat' likely to change providers in the next 90 days, according to CivicScience, which found that interest was lower among older age groups.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Industryby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 26, 2026

AI Drives Dealer Website Traffic

Total visits to dealer websites from generative artificial intelligence platforms grew more than 15 times year-over-year, signaling a shift in how many consumers shop for cars online.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellFebruary 26, 2026

Automakers Tops in Fuel Economy

In the U.S., Honda has the most efficient gas-electrified combo lineup while Tesla beats all automakers in annual EPA ranking as brands built their alternative-fuel offerings.

Read More →
Industryby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 25, 2026

Report Finds Year-End F&I Strength

Deal volume ebbed and flowed throughout 2025, but product performance remained steady, according to automotive technology and data intelligence solutions provider StoneEagle.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Industryby Hannah MitchellFebruary 24, 2026

Overall Consumer Confidence Up

Americans’ view of present business conditions, the labor market and family finances, though, are still in the dumps, and if they plan to buy cars, many target used units.

Read More →