Two sets of American cars are being investigated by federal safety regulators for serious complaints that could affect over 170,000 vehicles. The 2011 Chrysler 200 midsize sedan is being investigated after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received 15 complaints that the vehicle's engine stalled without warning while coasting to a stop. An equal number of complaints were registered to the NHTSA by drivers of the 2011 Ford Explorer SUV that the power steering would fail causing them to have to use more effort to steer.
Fortunately, no accidents have been reported because of the Ford Explorer concern. Some of those drivers reported receiving a warning before the power steering went out. For some drivers, restarting the vehicle resolved the problem. The problem seemed to occur when drivers were decelerating at low speeds, like stopping for red lights.
Chrysler maintains that the same engine in the Chrysler 200 midsize sedan has been used in 12 other vehicles without incident. A spokeperson for Chrysler stated that engine performance can be affected by many things like software and fuel quality.
The investigation could lead to a recall of either vehicle if facts are discovered to justify the recall.
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