THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS REPORTING TODAY that the U. S. Government is stepping up its investigations of increasing numbers of engine fires in older VW Passats.

They say further:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a posting on its Web site today that there had been 78 reports of engine fires and two injuries. The German automaker has received 14,850 warranty claims over the engine fires, the government said.

The investigation, which began in May, is focused on about 345,000 Passat sedans from the 2000-2003 model year. NHTSA said many of the complaints attribute the fires to a failure of the ignition coil.

Volkswagen has provided the government with information on the vehicle’s three different engines and ignition systems. The investigation was upgraded to allow additional analysis.

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