U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating reports that the engines of some Jeep SUVs and pickup trucks can catch fire even when the ignition is turned off.
The study includes more than 781,000 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles from model years 2021 to 2023.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says documents posted monday on its website that it has received nine complaints from owners about engine fires, including one that caused injuries. A majority of the reports say the fire started in the passenger side of the engine compartment.
The agency says a fire with the ignition off “can result in an increased risk of injury to occupants, injury to persons outside the vehicle, and property damage, with little or no warning.”
Investigators contacted Jeep manufacturer Stellantis and were told there had been additional “thermal events” that originated at an electrical connector on the power steering pump.
The agency said it is launching an investigation to determine the cause and extent of the problem and how prevalent it is. No recall has been issued, but one is possible.
Stellantis says it is cooperating with the investigation.
Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said owners of the Jeeps under investigation would be wise to park them outdoors until the matter is resolved, because NHTSA cites a risk of property damage.
“If I owned a vehicle like that, I certainly wouldn’t want to park it in a garage,” Brooks said.