NHTSA investigating faulty Continental parts “that may cause auto gas leaks.”

Crain’s Detroit Business (7/8, 75K) reports that US safety regulators and automakers “are trying to track down gas tank flanges that can crack and cause fuel leaks on what could be millions of cars and trucks.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “began investigating the parts made by German supplier Continental Automotive GmbH, whose U.S. operations are based in Auburn Hills, after the company filed recall documents this week saying the parts could be defective.” The documents, posted Friday by the agency, “say Continental sold the potentially faulty flanges to 11 automakers and five other parts supply companies.”

        Continental warns Porsche, Audi SUV recall may impact 13 other automakers. Bloomberg News (7/7, Beene, 2.41M) reported Continental AG warned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a filing released on Friday that its “faulty fuel pump parts that have spurred U.S. recalls of more than 450,000 SUVs by Volkswagen AG and its Porsche and Audi brands” had also been sold to an additional 13 automakers and auto parts suppliers, “including General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co., Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Tata Motors Ltd.’s Jaguar Land Rover.” As such, the NHTSA is “probing whether vehicles and parts sold by those other companies also contain defective fuel pump flanges from Continental, which can crack and cause a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire, according to a document” on the agency’s website.

        The AP (7/7, Krisher) reported the flanges “can crack and cause fuel leaks on what could be millions of cars and trucks.” The AP added a spokeswoman for Continental “conceded the number could run into the millions, but said it will be difficult to determine how many were sold because part numbers are not the same. The company has no reports of fires caused by the problem, she said.”