After receiving a petition from the Center for Auto Safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it would start an investigation into a defective gas tank design for Jeeps Grand Cherokee. It is estimated that up to three million Grand Cherokees built between 1993-2004, have gas tanks that are too vulnerable to fires after a rear impact.
The Center for Auto Safety said a bolt for the rear-stabilizer bar is an inch away from the plastic gas tank, making the tank vulnerable to a puncture in a rear-impact crash unless the vehicle has the optional rear skid plate. In the redesigned 2005 Grand Cherokee, the fuel tank was moved ahead of the rear axle.
In addition, the petition said, research by the institute has found that the plastic fuel tank “degrades in performance over time” and has a “fuel filler neck that tears off in a range of crashes.” According to the petition, there have been at least 44 crashes resulting in 64 deaths. In those crashes a fire was listed as “the most harmful event.”
