Chrysler: Government Timetable Off For Fixing Recalled Jeep SUV's

DETROIT (AP) - Chrysler says it can fix recalled Jeep SUVs far faster than government safety regulators have predicted.

The development could end a spat between the carmaker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over the pace of the recall.

Earlier this month, the agency accused Chrysler of moving too slowly to fix up to 2.5 million older Grand Cherokees and Libertys with gas tanks behind the rear axles. The tanks could rupture in rear collisions, leak fuel and cause fires.

The remedy is to install a trailer hitch to protect the tanks.

NHTSA said it will take Chrysler more than four years to fix all the vehicles. But Chrysler says in documents filed Wednesday that it can get enough hitches for the recall by March of next year.

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