Chrysler recently issued a recall on around 189,000 units of its Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos due to a fuel pump problem, Huffington Post reported.
However, according to safety advocate The Center for Auto Safety (CAS), the number of recalled vehicles should be higher.
According to the records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the problem affects the SUVs manufactured in the U.S. from Jan. 25, 2010 to July 20, 2011. These models are equipped with 3.6-liter V6 or 5.7 liter V8 engines.
The company said it started investigating the issue back in October of last year. Based on Chrysler's findings, a relay in the fuel pump can breakdown which can cause the vehicle to stall. Chrysler discovered that problem is caused by a spring which could get deformed due to heat.
This increases the risk of crashes and traffic-related accidents.
As of Aug. 25 of this year, the auto manufacturer has not yet received any reports regarding accidents and injuries caused by the problem in the fuel pump.
Owner of the affected models can have their pump relays replaced for free starting on Oct. 24 through local Chrysler dealerships.
For the CAS, the number of vehicles recalled by Chrysler should be more since the affected fuel pump model is not limited to the Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos, ABC News has learned.
The agency stated that other Jeep and Ram vehicles of the company are also equipped with the same component. If Chrysler includes these models, the number of recalled vehicles will jump from less than 200,000 to over 5 million.
"They should recall them all," the agency's executive director, Clarence Ditlow said.
In addition to the fuel pump issues, the CAS submitted a petition to the NHTSA to urge the agency to investigate an issue regarding Chrysler's power steering system, according to The Indy Channel.
In the petition, the organization noted that the electrical power control module could malfunction which could cause the vehicles to stall while in traffic. In addition, it can shut off all electrical components of the cars.
