Growing Safety Concerns About Jeep Cherokees (and Liberties)?

[Akedos]

Growing Safety Concerns About Jeep Cherokees - Rochester, News, Weather, Sports, and Events - 13WHAM.com

Article said this was an ongoing concern. Anyone heard anything else about this?

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Already got my shield, called a skid plate.

 

[ridenby]

need cliff notes,not going to go to the link.

 

[tjkj2002]

Growing Safety Concerns About Jeep Cherokees - Rochester, News, Weather, Sports, and Events - 13WHAM.com

Article said this was an ongoing concern. Anyone heard anything else about this?

Nothing will ever happen as said vehicles more then passed all crash tests at the time.The gas tank location is the same in many other vehicle also,not just Jeeps.Someone has it out for Jeeps and this comes up every few months.Less then .001% of total vehicle sold has ever experianced a fire from the gas tank in a colision,I'd call that bad luck not a design issue.

 

[dude1116]

Nothing will ever happen as said vehicles more then passed all crash tests at the time.The gas tank location is the same in many other vehicle also,not just Jeeps.Someone has it out for Jeeps and this comes up every few months.Less then .001% of total vehicle sold has ever experianced a fire from the gas tank in a colision,I'd call that bad luck not a design issue.

I'd have to agree with this. Although I currently can't site any vehicles with rear gas tanks. Do I think someone has it out for Jeeps? No. But do I think statisticians go nuts over this stuff? Yes. They need to look at a wider picture.

But hell. If they wanna give me a free skid plate, then so freakin' be-it.

 

[tjkj2002]

Although I currently can't site any vehicles with rear gas tanks.

Ford Crown Vics(and Mercury counter part),Most Ford pickups before '97 with dual tanks,Chevy Suburban/Tahoe built before '99(and GMC counter parts),All GM fullsize cars with RWD before the newer GTO's,and the list goes on and on.

 

[Dave]

Already got my shield, called a skid plate.

x2.....one of the first things I did when I got the Jeep was to install a full set of skids. Gas tank skid went on first.

Dave

 

[Paul M]

I don't pay any attention to these types of "reports" which do nothing but pick nits on perceived vehicle design "flaws". Fact: It's impossible to design a perfectly safe vehicle...especially one that gets decent fuel mileage. Wonder what would happen if one of the enviro's favorite cars - the SmartCar - got rear ended? Sure, it might be good for tooling around in town, but it's literally a go-cart with a funky shell. Forget the gas tank blowing up, it'd be accordioned. How about the Leaf? I wouldn't own a Leaf just because of the name alone, let alone it too is a Matchbox.

Despite some "growing concerns" created by some nebulous report, I'll keep my Liberty with full skids - plenty beefy. BTW, I got the skids not to protect me from blowing up if I got rear-ended...I got them to keep me from ripping a hole in the fuel tank and getting stranded in the middle of nowhere (altho Gorilla tape always goes with on excursions which will easily patch a hole so I can limp home).

 

[Ry' N Jen]

Similar investigation with Ford Pinto then Ford pickups.
Then 60 minutes rigged a ford pickup truck to catch fire on TV!
They did the same with Audi a few decades back 'cause of so called fires.
Chryslers with unintended acceleration...
Turned out to be BS as well.

 

[Luke]

Fact: It's impossible to design a perfectly safe vehicle...especially one that gets decent fuel mileage.

Oh it's absolutely possible ... unfortunately no one would be able to afford it.

 

[Paul M]

Oh it's absolutely possible ... unfortunately no one would be able to afford it.

Exactly...should have been more clear on my intended point. Sure, we could design a "perfectly safe" vehicle within our current engineering and technology, but no one would want it, just like the Chevy Volt (no matter how much subsidizing by taxpayers occurs.) :freak3:

 

[seabass1858]

They need to look at mustangs if they are worried about gas tank location. I like my jeeps
my xj had 310K no issues and I got hit in the rear hard in the tank

 

[SabaII]

I saw this on the local news. Sure they passed initial crash tests, but the ball joints and such passed initial quality tests. The reason for these recalls and investigations is to protect us. Sure it could be someone with a wild hair up you know where, but if it saves someones life then so be it.
Plus if we can get a free gas tank skid out of it, I am all in.

 

[tjkj2002]

I saw this on the local news. Sure they passed initial crash tests, but the ball joints and such passed initial quality tests. The reason for these recalls and investigations is to protect us. Sure it could be someone with a wild hair up you know where, but if it saves someones life then so be it.
Plus if we can get a free gas tank skid out of it, I am all in.

The OEM skid plate will make it more likely to catch on fire in a hard rear end hit.Without the skid plate there is no metal to create sparks as the gas tank is plastic.The thin OEM tank skid will bend as easy as the plastic tank but create sparks.

 

[theroofable]

The OEM skid plate will make it more likely to catch on fire in a hard rear end hit.Without the skid plate there is no metal to create sparks as the gas tank is plastic.The thin OEM tank skid will bend as easy as the plastic tank but create sparks.

False. The running engine of the car under the gas tank would be enough to ignite it.

 

[SabaII]

The OEM skid plate will make it more likely to catch on fire in a hard rear end hit.Without the skid plate there is no metal to create sparks as the gas tank is plastic.The thin OEM tank skid will bend as easy as the plastic tank but create sparks.

The way I saw it was the skid could protect it from the punctures that were the cause. I guess they will have to give us a beefier skid then.

 

[sota]

so, I can get a free gas tank skid out of this?

 

[tjkj2002]

The way I saw it was the skid could protect it from the punctures that were the cause. I guess they will have to give us a beefier skid then.

Yeah doubt they will pay for a Kilby gas tank skid.

so, I can get a free gas tank skid out of this?

Don't hold your breath,you'll die waiting for anything to happen.This story has been in the news somewhere in the the US for the last 7 years,pops up in a new place every few months and most likely started/tipped off by the same poeple that have a major beef with Jeeps.

 

[dude1116]

Fact: It's impossible to design a perfectly safe vehicle

How about a tank?

 

[tjkj2002]

How about a tank?

Yeah and you think your mpg's suck now or the cost of maintenance is high now.A tank is not as safe as one might think.