WASHINGTON — It's a first-round win for the Center for Auto Safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTSA) said it is looking into complaints that the Jeep Grand Cherokee from the 1993 to 2004 model years has a defective fuel tank storage system that presents fire hazards in crashes.
On October 2, the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, which was founded by consumer advocate Ralph Nader, petitioned the federal government for an investigation and a recall regarding the Jeep Grand Cherokee from that timeframe. The safety watchdog complained that the SUV's fuel tank extends below the rear bumper, making it more vulnerable in crashes and rollovers. It also alleges that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.
In a statement on the NHTSA Web site, the Office of Defects Investigations says it has "identified 12 vehicle owner questionnaires for model-year 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees reporting a vehicle crash that allegedly involved either a fuel tank leak and/or a fire potentially related to a fuel tank leak. Of the 12, 10 involved fires and two involved fuel leaks without fire."
NHTSA says it has "opened a defect petition to assess whether there is evidence to support opening a safety defect investigation concerning the alleged defects in the subject vehicles."
In the Center for Auto Safety's petition to the federal government, it noted that "the design is so bad that Chrysler frequently settles lawsuits without extensive discovery and subject to confidentiality agreements." The watchdog's petition said NHTSA's files for fatal fire crashes "where there was a fire occurrence in a 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee from calendar-year 1992 through 2008 found 172 fatal fire crashes with 254 fatalities."
Chrysler said in a statement that it "will cooperate fully with the NHTSA's investigation process."
The defect petition, which began on November 6, can drag on for years.
Inside Line says: If you own one of the aforementioned Jeep Grand Cherokees, be aware that the feds are looking into this alleged defect. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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kentman says:
07:04 AM, 12/24/2009
Bring on the obligatory recall that is designed to torpedo the brand. NHTSA is hell-bent on trying to kill the SUV market in any way possible. I have an '02 Overland, and I am not concerned in the least. I will be driving that one for another nine years or so, with or without a recall fix.