(Reuters) -The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday upgraded its investigation into nearly 1 million Stellantis’ Dodge brand vehicles to an engineering analysis from a preliminary evaluation over faulty door locks and windows.
The safety regulator said it was probing into inoperative door locks and windows in about 992,643 Dodge Journey crossovers built between 2009 and 2020, which might prevent occupants from exiting in the event of an emergency.
An engineering analysis is a mandatory requirement before the NHTSA can potentially demand a recall.
The regulator said there were seven incidents of door and window malfunction in the model, including one fatality.
“We extend our sincerest sympathies to the family and friends of the customer whose life was lost, and we are providing NHTSA with our full cooperation,” Stellantis said.
The safety regulator said it continues to explore the cause of fire, which was reported in one case, and its potential effect on door locks, and other potential causes for the malfunction.
(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Shinjini Ganguli)
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