Jeep Grand Cherokee is being investigated for gas tank recall

[troy]

http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/24/autos/Jeep_Grand_Cherokee/index.htm

Sounds like another good reason for a gas tank skid. I'm guessing this has a lot to do with how many grand cherokees are on the road vs. other vehicles. The gas tank on many newer cars seems to hang low and unprotected.

 

[XJBANKER]

Ive always thought it was stipid how low they hang. I have a 2000 WJ and waiting to see what is decided. They should just send out free skid plates for everyone. And new front rotors....they suck!

 

[Root Moose]

Yeah, WJ in particular has a really badly placed fuel tank that hangs real low. It's one of the things that gives the back of that Jeep its Caravan looks. That thing should be armoured up.

 

[BIGdaddy]

It hasn't formally been linked, but I wonder how much us XJ guys should be listening to this conversation?

Different part numbers? Different mounting? I'm not real familiar with Grand.Cherk stuff. I know that several years had the same 4.0L/AW4/NP231 right?

 

[Root Moose]

It is a concern in XJs too. When rear ended the body accordions all the way to the C-pillar.

I don't know if the statistics have been accumulating enough to trigger a recall for XJs. XJs tend to have a different usage than Grands IME.

Also, once they are more than ten years old I think the manufacturer is out of the woods for having to do anything. Kind of like how they don't have to keep parts for a vehicle more than ten years old. It becomes up to someone to do a class action lawsuit to make anything stick at that point.

Protect yourself: more armour and more height.

 

[Amauri]

The tanks in the grands are completely plastic, XJ's are metal encased in plastic. I think my hitch would provide enough protection.

 

[KSJeep]

You would have thought it would have been noticed sooner

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

SWEET!! the used prices on these should be dropping really soon then! :wings::wings:

 

[Broncogearhead]

The tanks in the grands are completely plastic, XJ's are metal encased in plastic. I think my hitch would provide enough protection.

Hitch will only provide so much protection.
A few years ago, my wife had a 02' Overland GC. She was stopped at a light when a guy in an s-10 rear ended her. Cops said he was going between 50-60 mph.

The gas tank was squashed up against the rear axle. Truck was totaled.
That being said, it didn't blow up or anything. The truck did bend in the middle so much so the rear back doors would not open. I don't know if that was by design to absorb the shock, or if it just folded like a can.

Regarding the tank, I'd feel more comfortable with the tank being stronger and having more support around it so it is not displaced in an wreck.

We really loved that jeep, but I don't think we will have another uni-body vehicle again.

 

[Amauri]

If someone hit me that fast they would probably end up under my Jeep :ylsmoke:

 

[JeepN95YJ]

I didn't read the link, but watched a clip on my local news.

They reported 15 deaths might have been linked to the gas tank. 15 deaths from over 3,000,000 vehicles sold. Seems to be a non-issue to me.

 

[The Swiss]

This is so stupid IMHO. I wonder when they start investigating cars from the 50ies because the steering wheel without airbag can cause injuries during a crash. Both, ZJ and WJ are no longer in production; they fulfilled or exceeded safety regulations at that time. I really think these kind of investigation should be limited to models in current production. At the end, it is us consumers paying for this kind of nonsense as the car manufacturers have to accrue for possible future legal costs and roll it in the vehicle price. I wonder how long it takes until people notice how much damage these kind of investigations together with the American sue-happiness causes to the US marketplace.
<<end of rant>>

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I didn't read the link, but watched a clip on my local news.

They reported 15 deaths might have been linked to the gas tank. 15 deaths from over 3,000,000 vehicles sold. Seems to be a non-issue to me.

Not saying its right or wrong but that is more deaths and less sold vehicles than the recent Toyota recall situation that has turned up no real investigative results as of yet.

 

[JeepN95YJ]

Not saying its right or wrong but that is more deaths and less sold vehicles than the recent Toyota recall situation that has turned up no real investigative results as of yet.

And THAT is a non-issue as well. But the article you quoted states 62 deaths and 8 million vehicles recalled attributed to toyota. So toyota kills more...(kidding obviously).

The #'s/%'s are so low as to be considered anomalies (sp). The percent of people dead per number of vehicles supposedly having a defect is 0.000005% for Jeep and 0.00000775% for Toyota.

Nothing in either case is supported by fact as of yet. I think The Swiss is accurate in his assessment.