Agency Upgrades Investigation of 387,000 Liberty S.U.V.'s for Inadvertent Air-Bag Deployments The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has intensified its investigation into unwarranted air-bag deployments on nearly 387,000 Jeep Liberty S.U.V."s from the 2002-3 model years. N.H.T.S.A. first began investigating last September after receiving seven complaints from owners. Investigators said they had 87 reports of either the driver or passenger air bags deploying without the vehicle being involved in a crash. The deployments have resulted in 50 injuries, including cuts, burns and bruises, according to a document posted to the agency's Web site on Friday. In it, the investigators write that an electronic circuit that controls the air bag deployment "fails due to an electrical overstress condition caused by a transient voltage spike" and triggers the deployment. In a report dated Dec. 9, 2011, Chrysler told the agency it had not been able to duplicate the problem despite tests that included exposing the system to various radio frequencies. The automaker also noted that while its own investigation continued, it had yet to determine the existence of a safety-related defect. In other recent actions: N.H.T.S.A. has begun investigating reports of gas leaks on the high-performance Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG sedans and wagons. It covers about 8,100 vehicles from the 2003-6 model years. In a document filed Friday, the safety agency said it received 20 complaints of a gas odor inside or outside the vehicle. Some said there was fuel leaking from the top of the fuel tank, which is accessible by removing the rear seat cushion. "I am a single owner of a 2003 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG, and it is leaking fuel into the back seat above the tank," one owner complained to the agency in November 2010. Some of the owners said the problem began after a 2008 recall for an emissions problem that involved the fuel-filter module. That recall (PDF) covered almost 10,700 AMG versions of the E-Class as well as the CLS from the 2003-6 model years. Toyo Tires told the agency it would recall almost 69,000 tires because the sidewalls might crack, causing the tire to fail. The affected model is the Extensa A/S in a 225/60/16 size. Toyo told the agency the first report of the sidewall cracking came in July 2010, but after an investigation, the company decided the tires "were within specification and that they met or exceeded applicable standards." After receiving warranty claims last year, Toyo said it investigated again and discovered some of those tires had a thinner sidewall "near the lower end of the production tolerance" and a recall was warranted. The manufacturer said it was not aware of any accidents related to the problem. For more information or to report a safety defect, click here.