Federal probe finds 27 engine fires in tiny Smart cars

DETROIT (AP) — An investigation by U.S. auto safety regulators has found 27 reports of engine fires in tiny Smart Fortwo cars, including one that caused an injury.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has upgraded its probe to an engineering analysis, a step closer to a recall.

In documents posted Wednesday, the agency says one person reported smoke inhalation, but the extent of the injury was not listed.

The agency began investigating nearly 43,000 Smart cars made by Mercedes in December. The cars are from the 2008 and 2009 model years.

Investigators analyzed insurance data and found the cars had significantly higher fire claims than comparable vehicles.