Federal safety regulators are worried about the placement of the fuel tank in older Jeep Grand Cherokees. Unlike most modern vehicles, the Jeep's fuel tank in 1993-2004 models is behind the rear axle, potentially making it more prone to damage in a rear-end collison or rollover.
Nearly all automakers now place the fuel tank within the frame, ahead of the rear axle. The most notorious exceptions are the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car -- the targets of numerous lawsuits alleging deaths and injuries from fires sparked by rear-end accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says there are 3.1 million 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees on the road. Since 1992, 44 of them have been involved in fiery crashes in which 55 people died.
While the agency is conducting an investigation to determine whether a recall is necessary, it noted that the number of fires is not disproportionate to the number of vehicles on the road.
The investigation was prompted by a petition from the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, which said the Grand Cherokee's "design is so bad that Chrysler frequently settles lawsuits without extensive discovery and subject to confidentiality agreements."
'Defectively designed'
"The fuel system in the 1993-04 Grand Cherokee is defectively designed in that it contains a plastic fuel tank subject to rupture, degrades in performance over time, a fuel filler neck that tears off in a range of crashes, a hostile environment with sharp objects such as suspension bolts that can puncture the tank, extends below the bumper and is unshielded although Chrysler offers a optional 3/16" steel shield as a 'skid plate' for off road use which would protect the tank in rear impacts where there is pre-crash braking of the striking vehicle," the petition argued.
The organization, founded by consumer activist Ralph Nader, said the rear sway bar link bolt on the Jeep models is "only 3 centimeters away from the plastic tank and could easily puncture the tank in a crash." It noted that the tank was moved forward in 2005 after Chrysler merged with Mercedes. Since that time, no fire-caused deaths have been reported, the petition said.
The petition cites several gruesome accidents, including one on Long Island, New York, in 1999. In that accident, a 2001 Grand Cherokee was struck from behind by a Toyota MR2. Two sisters in the back of the Jeep were severely burned when they could not get out because the doors were jammed. The driver of the Toyota was fatally burned when he was engulfed by burning fuel from the Grand Cherokee's ruptured gas tank.
A Chrysler spokesman, Michael Palese, said the company is cooperating with the investigation. He said the Grand Cherokee has an excellent safety record.
