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DETROIT (Reuters) -
DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler division is recalling more than 438,000 PT Cruisers because power steering fluid can leak from the vehicles, causing potential engine compartment fires, federal safety regulators said on Friday.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said 438,391 PT Cruisers from the 2001-2004 model years were affected by the recall, which is a blow to Chrysler's recent claims about improved quality.

NHTSA said the safety defect stemmed from contact on some of the vehicles between a high pressure power steering hose and the automatic transaxle differential cover.
Chrysler spokeswoman Curtrise Garner said there had been nine reports of underhood fires apparently caused by the problem.

"The likelihood of fires is very low," she said, adding that no injuries or deaths had been reported.

If you've been to the pumps lately you've likely noticed the hit on your wallet. And as summer approaches the prices are only going to get steeper, making hybrid and other more economical cars a little more appealing.

Before you go running to the local car lot for a trade-in or do any other drastic measures, there are a few things you can do to decrease the impact sky-rocketing gas prices on your check book. One easy and very inexpensive thing you can do is to check your tires every time you stop to fill the tank. Proper tire inflation not only makes less for the engine; it improves your safety and guarantees more even tire wear. What's the cost of an under-inflated tire? Roughly 2% of your fuel economy!

Another thing to check out is your air filter. A dirty air filter can rob your vehicle of fuel economy as well as increase wear and tear on your engine. The more oxygen an engine receives, the more efficiently it's able to combust fuel and change it into power. One recommendation is to check it every 6 months and change it when it's dirty. Another option is replace it with a washable, high performance air filter. K&N makes washable, high performance for most makes and models and for Toyota owners, the TRD air filter is an excellent option as well as the K&N. Since TRD air filters are designed for performance, they allow more air to make it to your engine while trapping particulate matter better than standard air filters. Plus, since they're washable, you save money by cleaning it instead of just tossing it. If you keep your car for 150,000 miles you will have replaced your air filter 10 times; you will more than have paid for a high performance TRD filter. Not only will a performance air filter save you money at the pump you'll see savings at the parts store too!

Find K&N Filter for my vehicle

Now, while it may be more expensive, another way to increase your airflow is to upgrade your air intake system. From TRD, K&N, AEM and other performance companies are a multitude of cold air intake system, short ram air intakes and other air induction systems. These air intake systems are designed feed your engine cooler, denser air for an increase in performance and, if you can keep your foot off the skinny pedal, gas mileage. Since they all use a washable, high performance air filters as well, you're cleaning the filter every 30,000-50,000 miles and not spending extra money on replacing it every 12,000-15,000 miles. While the up front expense is more than just replacing your standard air filter with a high performance filter, over the life time of your car it may very well pay off.

What else can you do besides improve the airflow to your engine? Make sure your oxygen sensor is working properly. If your O2 sensor isn't working properly you stand have your fuel mileage cut by 40%. Also consider giving your vehicle a tune-up. You'd be amazed at the difference fresh spark plugs, a new distributor cap, plug wires and adjusting the timing will do for your gas mileage.

One last thing to do is to logon to GasBuddy.com and AAA's fuelgaugereport.com. Both of these websites are provided to help consumers find the best prices for gasoline in their local vicinity. Good luck and save well!