![]() ![]() Why Chrysler placed the fuel tank in such an obviously unsafe location is a mystery. For some reason, when it came time to locate the fuel tank on the 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees, 1993-2001 Jeep Cherokees, and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberties, Chrysler placed the fuel tank behind the rear wheels and next to the rear bumper. The consequences were unsurprising: these Jeeps are susceptible to catching fire when hit from behind. Which makes what Chrysler did with its Jeeps all that much more mysterious. Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of vehicles sold in the United States, at least since the 1990s, have followed this basic design principle. In particular, you’d think that Chrysler (maker of Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles) had gotten this lesson-as early as 1978, as this internal memorandum indicates, Chrysler had taken note of the controversy surrounding the Pinto and reached the commonsense conclusion that “locating the fuel tank ahead of the rear wheels appears to provide good protection for the tank.” Gas Tank Location in Jeep Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, & Libertyīoth common sense and experience dictate that a fuel tank should be placed where it isn’t likely to be damaged in a collision-not behind the rear axle, as with the Pinto, or outside the frame rails, as with the older C/K pickups. ![]() ![]() Unsurprisingly, the trucks were susceptible to catching fire when struck in the side. If the Pinto wasn’t enough to teach the lesson, automakers should have learned about keeping fuel tanks safe from the 1970s and ‘80s General Motors C/K pickups, in which General Motors mounted the fuel tanks on the sides of the vehicles outside the frame rails. Unsurprisingly, the Pintos were susceptible to catching on fire when struck in the rear. Responsible automakers should have learned this lesson from the Ford Pinto, a notoriously dangerous vehicle of the 1970s in which Ford placed the fuel tank behind the rear axle. And most of the time, it does. For instance, common sense dictates that an automaker should not place the fuel tank someplace where it’s likely to get hit-because then the tank could leak, and a fire could result. ![]() Fires & Explosions in Defective Jeeps 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1993-2001 Jeep Cherokee, 2002-2007 Jeep LibertyĬommon sense ought to count for something, even in the corporate culture of Detroit automakers. ![]()
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