Gas tank explosions?

[loves_off_roading]

A friend of mine at work told me that in the news he saw about jeep gas tanks exploding/catching fire after rear impact. Apparently it's killed some people. What's going on with this? Is there a recall for it? And what models are affected?

I own a 2006 Jeep Liberty, and a 1995 Jeep Cherokee

I don't want to die because of this

 

[Lancer]

You won't. It's one of those things that can only happen when there are a whole series of things going wrong in a very small time frame. The KJ fuel tank is plastic (asis the case with most modern vehicles), so if there is a VERY substantial rear impact, it may rupture. Actually, its less likely to rupture than a steel tank - mostly it just deforms.

Petrol doesn't explode, as you see it on tv and films. Many years ago I was on a course (paid for by Her Majesty's Government) and just for a laugh, a couple of us stuck 8oz of C4 under the target car's fuel tank, trotted back about 50 yards and then hit the remote. There was an almighty bang when the C4 detonated, but rather than a huge wallop as the fuel tank detonated with immediate and impressive flames(as they always do in films) we simply got showered in petrol. Now - if someone had then struck a match and ignited the vapour that came off our soaked clothes - it would not have been a barrel of laughs.

Google/search news sites for accidents of this kind - very rare.

 

[Paul M]

A friend of mine at work told me that in the news he saw about jeep gas tanks exploding/catching fire after rear impact. Apparently it's killed some people. What's going on with this? Is there a recall for it? And what models are affected?

I own a 2006 Jeep Liberty, and a 1995 Jeep Cherokee

I don't want to die because of this

Take a look in here:

http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/f196/growing-safety-concerns-about-jeep-cherokees-liberties-51629/

Just because it's in the media or on the web does not make it truth.:think:

 

[Marlon_JB2]

Not to mention there have only been about 25 reported cases of this (non) issue. It comes up every few months, but this time made it big for some reason.

 

[dude1116]

Every vehicle can have a collision that ruptures the gas tank. These might just be more frequent cause more people don't pay attention to traffic on the highways than T-Bone the shit out of you.

 

[flair1111]

wasnt it dateline years ago that got busted for setting this kind of thing up on a car? they had to come out and admit they staged the damn thing for the show yet reported it as real for that vehicle. ford pickups i think it was. about 10 yrs ago?

 

[Paul M]

They rigged a GMC truck (if I recall) to blow up because they couldn't reproduce the explosion for their outcome-based "reporting". I suspect the MythBuster dudes might have tried to do a legitiment test, unless it was too politically touchy.:flamethrower:

The Heep is pretty stout for it's size so no worries (besides the fact it fits nicely down tight trails).

 

[tjkj2002]

Take a look in here:

http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/f196/growing-safety-concerns-about-jeep-cherokees-liberties-51629/

Just because it's in the media or on the web does not make it truth.:think:

Ever wonder why they don't include the Wranglers? Most likely started by "*********" Jeepers that don't think it's a Jeep unless it's a Wrangler.Has come up in a different part of the country every few months for the last 7 years since they redesigned the GC's to meet the new federal crash standards 2 years early that no rear mounted tank vehicle would pass.

There are some 14 million Grand Cherokees around the world with something like 27 reported cases.I call that bad luck and no issue with safety.I'm sorry to say if you get in a rear end accident that is bad enough to rupture the gas tank and actually start a fire your most likely not going to want to live anyways.

 

[Ry' N Jen]

As far as I am concerned I personally think this whole issue is a bunch of B.S.
Having a brother-in-law who was in Law enforcement for over 20 years I have
seen many makes and models of vehicle that have caught fire and injured and
killed people.
Yet we don't see or read read anything about those vehicles anywhere in the
media.

I know people who have owned VW Bugs and they never ad any "Ejector seat"
problems when in rear end collisions.
As well as friends who have owned Ford Pinto's and early Ford Pick-up trucks
that have been in severe rear end collisions and their vehicles never burst into
flames!
The same goes for friends who owned mid 1980's Audi's what didn't magically
catch on n fire.

Google all of the above for all you young folks who don't have a clue as to what
I am talking about...

People just need to learn how to drive.

 

[rkkj]

This worries me about as much as a rainy day. And being from BC, you get used to rainy days. You mean to tell me that in a rear end collision bad things can happen, who knew?

 

[Marlon_JB2]

Ever wonder why they don't include the Wranglers? Most likely started by "*********" Jeepers that don't think it's a Jeep unless it's a Wrangler.Has come up in a different part of the country every few months for the last 7 years since they redesigned the GC's to meet the new federal crash standards 2 years early that no rear mounted tank vehicle would pass.

There are some 14 million Grand Cherokees around the world with something like 27 reported cases.I call that bad luck and no issue with safety.I'm sorry to say if you get in a rear end accident that is bad enough to rupture the gas tank and actually start a fire your most likely not going to want to live anyways.

Yeah, that.

None of this started until the WK came out in 2004.

 

[Paul M]

This worries me about as much as a rainy day. And being from BC, you get used to rainy days. You mean to tell me that in a rear end collision bad things can happen, who knew?

x2...getting into an accident from a hurtling mass of metal might cause injury? Gee, what a concept. I recall some sort of expanding foam suit that works like an airbag...get into a collision and it blows up sourrounding the wearer with protective foam. (maybe that was in a movie) I suspect Nanny-state minded people love this idea because they think all of life should be protected - trouble and accident/injury free, then foist it on everyone else. Baloney. If I get rear-ended I might go up in a ball of fire. Then again, I might not. Heck, anymore kids aren't eating enough dirt because video games inside are "clean" (gag!), so they don't get the normal immunities like those of us who grew up playing outside every chance we could...getting cruddy. Plus 90% of the time we ate nothing but PB&J sandwiches on Wonderbread and drank from the creek.p:

 

[tjkj2002]

Plus 90% of the time we ate nothing but PB&J sandwiches on Wonderbread and drank from the creek.p:

:happy160:

Yep grew up drinking unfiltered well water for 18 years and milk from right out the cow.I should be dead from all the stupid stuff I did as a kid growing up on a farm.I'm not the least bit concerned about getting killed by a fireball from being rearended,well now at least the driver of the other vehicle will go 1st unless there driving something bigger then my KJ.If a normal midsized or smaller car rear ends me my gas tank will end up in there lap.

 

[Dave]

^^yup, grew up drinking warm milk straight from a cow. Drank water from the creek in the cow pasture. Ate plenty of pb&j with that crummy wonder bread. Never wore a helmet riding my bike. We used to play tackle football out in the field with no protection. Used to come in the house afterwards all beat up and bleeding and full of grass stains etc. Used to climb up on the garage roof and jump off into the snow bank. I should be dead.

After all that an exploding gas tank has no chance of getting me.

Dave

 

[tjkj2002]

^^yup, grew up drinking warm milk straight from a cow. Drank water from the creek in the cow pasture. Ate plenty of pb&j with that crummy wonder bread. Never wore a helmet riding my bike. We used to play tackle football out in the field with no protection. Used to come in the house afterwards all beat up and bleeding and full of grass stains etc. Used to climb up on the garage roof and jump off into the snow bank. I should be dead.

After all that an exploding gas tank has no chance of getting me.

Dave

Remember lawn darts? The fun I had with those:doh2:

 

[Dave]

Remember lawn darts? The fun I had with those:doh2:

We had those too........threw them all over........haha

Dave

 

[Paul M]

^^yup, grew up drinking warm milk straight from a cow. Drank water from the creek in the cow pasture. Ate plenty of pb&j with that crummy wonder bread. Never wore a helmet riding my bike. We used to play tackle football out in the field with no protection. Used to come in the house afterwards all beat up and bleeding and full of grass stains etc. Used to climb up on the garage roof and jump off into the snow bank. I should be dead.

After all that an exploding gas tank has no chance of getting me.

Dave

"Remember lawn darts? The fun I had with those..."

Oh man!, you two got me laughing so hard I about blew soda out my nose! Haha, backyard tackle football when you're the guy on the bottom getting knee'd in the head and piled on, and we had metal spikes! Falling out of trees...regularly. Making jumps for the bike...no helmet, no knee pads. Forgetting the brakes on the go-kart. I should be dead too. Can you still buy lawn darts? Now they probably come with warning labels and lawsuit instructions - or worse, rubber tips ("nerf darts", haha). And mom didn't care as long as we stayed out of trouble and came in on time for dinner. Thanks for the laugh at the end of the day.:happy175:

 

[Marlon_JB2]

I never wore a helmet either.
I never climbed a tree, no interest in doing so.
Too scared to jump a bike.

 

[yellocoyote]

Climbing silos on my dad's farm when I was 10... that was good too.

 

[Ry' N Jen]

Hell we used to play man hunt and hunt down one of our friends with pellet guns loaded with 20 or so BB's!
Safety glasses?
Those cost money!
We used what little money we had for ammo and CO2 cartridges!
I also grew up on a dairy farm drinking real milk instead of that pasturized crap.
Yup, had the lawn darts as well.
Got some scares left over from them as well. I guess that explains the brain damage!