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Complaint leads to probe of minivan stalling issue

DETROIT (AP) — A man’s complaint that his Chrysler minivan stalled unexpectedly after refueling has brought an inquiry from U.S. safety regulators.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will look into the problem that could affect 160,000 Dodge Grand Caravan minivans from 2007 and other model years, the agency said in documents posted on its website Tuesday.

The agency says it will study how often the problem happens and whether it occurs in other similarly equipped minivans. The inquiry will determine if a formal investigation should be started. No crashes or injuries have been reported, according to the documents.

In his complaint and petition seeking an investigation, Brian Rosa of Union, N.J., told the agency that the van with 44,000 miles on it began stalling after the gas tank is completely filled. The van stalled on his wife while she was driving with children on a freeway, the complaint said. “Stalling without warning represents an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety, and the agency should open a preliminary evaluation,” he wrote.

Rosa cited eight complaints to NHTSA of similar problems from other drivers.

Chrysler engineers will work with NHTSA on the probe, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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