The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has updated its investigation, launched last year, of some Stellantis' Doge Suv models for defects in door locks and windows, expanding the number of vehicles under observation to nearly one million.

In May 2023, Nhtsa began a preliminary assessment on 82,000 2009 Dodge Journey SUVs. The agency announced today that it has revised the investigation to an engineering analysis covering 992,000 Journey vehicles from 2009 to 2020.

Nhtsa said it opened the investigation after a report of a person who died as he was allegedly trapped inside a burning vehicle in Middleton, Wisconsin, in December 2022.

Nhtsa added that it is still investigating the cause of the fire and the potential malfunction of the door locks.

The agency said there have been 19 potential incidents of door and window malfunction, including the death that occurred in Wisconsin.

An engineering analysis is a necessary step before Nhtsa can proceed with a recall.

(Translated by Chiara Scarciglia, editing Andrea Mandalà)