Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
PE10031CHRYSLER GROUP LLC08/23/201006/14/2012Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 Nhtsa has conducted extensive analysis of the data regarding fuel tank integrity for the model year (my) 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokee (jgc). as a result of that work, the agency has decided to upgrade its safety defect investigation to an engineering analysis and to expand the scope of vehicles included in the investigation. nhtsa's assessment of the data collected during this investigation indicates that rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the jgc than in the non-jeep peer vehicles. in addition, the agency's analysis of its fars data for the peer vehicles and three jeep models shows a higher incidence of rear-impact, fatal fire crashes for the jeep products.pe10-031 had focused on the fuel tank system integrity of the jgc vehicles during rear-end collisions and impacts.the fuel tank is located at the rear of the vehicle, between the bumper and axle, and is manufactured from a plastic material (hdpe).three peer vehicles (across the same my range as the jgc) were identified for comparative assessment: the chevrolet blazer, ford explorer, and toyota 4runner.odi has collected and assessed a significant volume of data for the jgc and three peer vehicles under the defect petition (dp) 09-005 and pe10-031, much of which was either provided by the petitioner or by the subject and peer manufacturers in response to odi's information request letters.nhtsa has also utilized its fars database.fatal crash data was collected for the jgc and its three peers, along with data for two other jeep vehicles, the cherokee and liberty, which were also manufactured with rear mounted fuel tanks and assessed by odi as jeep peer vehicles.based on the agency's current analysis, odi is upgrading its investigation to determine whether the subject vehicles contain a defect that presents an unreasonable risk to safety.the subject vehicles for ea12-005 will be my 1993-2004 jgc, my 1993-2001 cherokee, and my 2002-2007 liberty; the estimated production volumes for these vehicles is approximately 5.1 million, although attrition is a factor for the older vehicles.please note that the counts shown in the above failure report summary are for the jgc only (values shown in the total column are unique).data for the other jeep models and possibly other peer models will be collected during the investigation.the odi reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:506249, 549376, 734783, 869217, 10009553, 10335943, 10351589, 10351980, 10357528.
EA12005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC06/12/2012Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 Nhtsa has conducted extensive analysis of the data regarding fuel tank integrity for the model year (my) 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokee (jgc). as a result of that work, the agency has decided to upgrade its safety defect investigation to an engineering analysis and to expand the scope of vehicles included in the investigation. nhtsa's assessment of the data collected during preliminary evaluation (pe) 10-031 indicates that rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the jgc than in the non-jeep peer vehicles. in addition, the agency's analysis of its fars data for the peer vehicles and three jeep models shows a higher incidence of rear-impact, fatal fire crashes for the jeep products.pe10-031 had focused on the fuel tank system integrity of the jgc vehicles during rear-end collisions and impacts.the fuel tank is located at the rear of the vehicle, between the bumper and axle, and is manufactured from a plastic material (hdpe).three peer vehicles (across the same my range as the jgc) were identified for comparative assessment: the chevrolet blazer, ford explorer, and toyota 4runner.odi has collected and assessed a significant volume of data for the jgc and three peer vehicles under the defect petition (dp) 09-005 and pe10-031, much of which was either provided by the petitioner or by the subject and peer manufacturers in response to odi's information request letters.nhtsa has also utilized its fars database.fatal crash data was collected for the jgc and its three peers, along with data for two other jeep vehicles, the cherokee and liberty, which were also manufactured with rear mounted fuel tanks and assessed by odi as jeep peer vehicles.based on the agency's current analysis, odi has upgraded its investigation to determine whether the subject vehicles contain a defect that presents an unreasonable risk to safety.the subject vehicles for the investigation will be my 1993-2004 jgc, my 1993-2001 cherokee, and my 2002-2007 liberty.the estimated production volumes for these vehicles are shown above, although attrition is a factor for the older vehicles.please note that the counts shown in the above failure report summary are for the jgc only (values shown in the total column are unique).data for the other jeep models and possibly other peer models will be collected during the investigation.the odi reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers: jgc:506249, 549376, 734783, 869217, 10009553, 10335943, 10351589, 10351980, 10357528.liberty:10357195, 10366653 (duplicate of 10357195), 10138726, 10149256, 10181332cherokee:10409104
PE10031CHRYSLER GROUP LLC08/23/2010Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned nhtsa to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleged that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present a fire hazard in crashes. cas alleged that the plastic fuel tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding, make it more vulnerable to rupture or leakage from a rear-impact by another vehicle (including damage from other components located on the grand cherokee), or in the case of rollover crashes, from other external objects.cas also alleged that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.in its petition, cas cites data from nhtsa's fatality analysis reporting system (fars) showing 172 fatal fire crashes with 254 fatalities involving the subject vehicles from calendar years 1992 through 2008.cas stated that there have been at least 44 crashes with 64 total fatalities (subject and non-subject vehicles) where fire was entered as the most harmful event (mhe) in the fars database.in response to the cas petition, odi conducted a preliminary examination of available data.fars data showed 2,988 occupants of the subject vehicles have died in crashes since 1992.of those, 55 died in 44 crashes where fire was listed as the most harmful event.identifying crashes most likely associated with the alleged defect as described by cas (defined as the subject vehicle being struck at the 5, 6 or 7 o'clock positions) isolated 10 crashes with 13 occupant fatalities.odi also reviewed the vehicle owner questionnaires (voq) database and identified 12 reports alleging a) a post-crash fuel tank leak and/or b) a post-crash fire potentially related to a fuel tank leak.of the 12 reports, 10 involved fires ( two involved fuel leaks only) with 9 alleged injuries and 1 alleged fatality.the existence of these post-crash fires does not, by itself, establish a defect trend. further review and investigation into these incidents is needed to determine the existence of any relationship between the alleged defect and each fire or leak.it should be noted that odi also conducted a preliminary review of the early warning reporting (ewr) data that did not find the subject vehicles to be over-represented for post-crash fires.odi has granted the petition to further investigate the conditions associated with post-crash fires in these vehicles.
DP09005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/06/200908/23/2010Fuel Storage System Crash Related Fires
 In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned nhtsa to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleged that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present a fire hazard in crashes. cas alleged that the plastic fuel tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding, make it more vulnerable to rupture or leakage from a rear-impact by another vehicle (including damage from other components located on the grand cherokee), or in the case of rollover crashes, from other external objects.cas also alleged that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.in its petition, cas cites data from nhtsa's fatality analysis reporting system (fars) showing 172 fatal fire crashes with 254 fatalities involving the subject vehicles from calendar years 1992 through 2008.cas stated that there have been at least 44 crashes with 64 total fatalities (subject and non-subject vehicles) where fire was entered as the most harmful event (mhe) in the fars database.in response to the cas petition, odi made a preliminary examination of available data.fars data showed 2,988 occupants of the subject vehicles have died in crashes since 1992.of those, 55 died in 44 crashes where fire was listed as the most harmful event.identifying crashes most likely associated with the alleged defect as described by cas (defined as the subject vehicle being struck at the 5, 6 or 7 o'clock positions) isolated 10 crashes with 13 occupant fatalities.odi also reviewed the vehicle owner questionnaires (voq) database and identified 12 reports alleging a) a post-crash fuel tank leak and/or b) a post-crash fire potentially related to a fuel tank leak.of the 12 reports, 10 involved fires (two involved fuel leaks only) with 9 alleged injuries and 1 alleged fatality.the existence of these post-crash fires does not, by itself, establish a defect trend.further review and investigation into these incidents is needed to determine the existence of any relationship between the alleged defect and each fire or leak.it should be noted that odi also conducted a preliminary review of the early warning reporting (ewr) data that did not find the subject vehicles to be over-represented for post-crash fires.odi's initial review neither supports nor excludes the possibility that a defect exists in the subject vehicles.however, odi has always taken the position that vehicle fires pose a significant safety risk.accordingly, odi has granted the petition to further investigate the conditions associated with post-crash fires in these vehicles.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE
PE10031CHRYSLER GROUP LLC08/23/201006/14/2012Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 Nhtsa has conducted extensive analysis of the data regarding fuel tank integrity for the model year (my) 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokee (jgc). as a result of that work, the agency has decided to upgrade its safety defect investigation to an engineering analysis and to expand the scope of vehicles included in the investigation. nhtsa's assessment of the data collected during this investigation indicates that rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the jgc than in the non-jeep peer vehicles. in addition, the agency's analysis of its fars data for the peer vehicles and three jeep models shows a higher incidence of rear-impact, fatal fire crashes for the jeep products.pe10-031 had focused on the fuel tank system integrity of the jgc vehicles during rear-end collisions and impacts.the fuel tank is located at the rear of the vehicle, between the bumper and axle, and is manufactured from a plastic material (hdpe).three peer vehicles (across the same my range as the jgc) were identified for comparative assessment: the chevrolet blazer, ford explorer, and toyota 4runner.odi has collected and assessed a significant volume of data for the jgc and three peer vehicles under the defect petition (dp) 09-005 and pe10-031, much of which was either provided by the petitioner or by the subject and peer manufacturers in response to odi's information request letters.nhtsa has also utilized its fars database.fatal crash data was collected for the jgc and its three peers, along with data for two other jeep vehicles, the cherokee and liberty, which were also manufactured with rear mounted fuel tanks and assessed by odi as jeep peer vehicles.based on the agency's current analysis, odi is upgrading its investigation to determine whether the subject vehicles contain a defect that presents an unreasonable risk to safety.the subject vehicles for ea12-005 will be my 1993-2004 jgc, my 1993-2001 cherokee, and my 2002-2007 liberty; the estimated production volumes for these vehicles is approximately 5.1 million, although attrition is a factor for the older vehicles.please note that the counts shown in the above failure report summary are for the jgc only (values shown in the total column are unique).data for the other jeep models and possibly other peer models will be collected during the investigation.the odi reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:506249, 549376, 734783, 869217, 10009553, 10335943, 10351589, 10351980, 10357528.
EA12005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC06/12/2012Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 Nhtsa has conducted extensive analysis of the data regarding fuel tank integrity for the model year (my) 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokee (jgc). as a result of that work, the agency has decided to upgrade its safety defect investigation to an engineering analysis and to expand the scope of vehicles included in the investigation. nhtsa's assessment of the data collected during preliminary evaluation (pe) 10-031 indicates that rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the jgc than in the non-jeep peer vehicles. in addition, the agency's analysis of its fars data for the peer vehicles and three jeep models shows a higher incidence of rear-impact, fatal fire crashes for the jeep products.pe10-031 had focused on the fuel tank system integrity of the jgc vehicles during rear-end collisions and impacts.the fuel tank is located at the rear of the vehicle, between the bumper and axle, and is manufactured from a plastic material (hdpe).three peer vehicles (across the same my range as the jgc) were identified for comparative assessment: the chevrolet blazer, ford explorer, and toyota 4runner.odi has collected and assessed a significant volume of data for the jgc and three peer vehicles under the defect petition (dp) 09-005 and pe10-031, much of which was either provided by the petitioner or by the subject and peer manufacturers in response to odi's information request letters.nhtsa has also utilized its fars database.fatal crash data was collected for the jgc and its three peers, along with data for two other jeep vehicles, the cherokee and liberty, which were also manufactured with rear mounted fuel tanks and assessed by odi as jeep peer vehicles.based on the agency's current analysis, odi has upgraded its investigation to determine whether the subject vehicles contain a defect that presents an unreasonable risk to safety.the subject vehicles for the investigation will be my 1993-2004 jgc, my 1993-2001 cherokee, and my 2002-2007 liberty.the estimated production volumes for these vehicles are shown above, although attrition is a factor for the older vehicles.please note that the counts shown in the above failure report summary are for the jgc only (values shown in the total column are unique).data for the other jeep models and possibly other peer models will be collected during the investigation.the odi reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers: jgc:506249, 549376, 734783, 869217, 10009553, 10335943, 10351589, 10351980, 10357528.liberty:10357195, 10366653 (duplicate of 10357195), 10138726, 10149256, 10181332cherokee:10409104
PE10031CHRYSLER GROUP LLC08/23/2010Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned nhtsa to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleged that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present a fire hazard in crashes. cas alleged that the plastic fuel tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding, make it more vulnerable to rupture or leakage from a rear-impact by another vehicle (including damage from other components located on the grand cherokee), or in the case of rollover crashes, from other external objects.cas also alleged that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.in its petition, cas cites data from nhtsa's fatality analysis reporting system (fars) showing 172 fatal fire crashes with 254 fatalities involving the subject vehicles from calendar years 1992 through 2008.cas stated that there have been at least 44 crashes with 64 total fatalities (subject and non-subject vehicles) where fire was entered as the most harmful event (mhe) in the fars database.in response to the cas petition, odi conducted a preliminary examination of available data.fars data showed 2,988 occupants of the subject vehicles have died in crashes since 1992.of those, 55 died in 44 crashes where fire was listed as the most harmful event.identifying crashes most likely associated with the alleged defect as described by cas (defined as the subject vehicle being struck at the 5, 6 or 7 o'clock positions) isolated 10 crashes with 13 occupant fatalities.odi also reviewed the vehicle owner questionnaires (voq) database and identified 12 reports alleging a) a post-crash fuel tank leak and/or b) a post-crash fire potentially related to a fuel tank leak.of the 12 reports, 10 involved fires ( two involved fuel leaks only) with 9 alleged injuries and 1 alleged fatality.the existence of these post-crash fires does not, by itself, establish a defect trend. further review and investigation into these incidents is needed to determine the existence of any relationship between the alleged defect and each fire or leak.it should be noted that odi also conducted a preliminary review of the early warning reporting (ewr) data that did not find the subject vehicles to be over-represented for post-crash fires.odi has granted the petition to further investigate the conditions associated with post-crash fires in these vehicles.
DP09005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/06/200908/23/2010Fuel Storage System Crash Related Fires
 In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned nhtsa to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleged that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present a fire hazard in crashes. cas alleged that the plastic fuel tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding, make it more vulnerable to rupture or leakage from a rear-impact by another vehicle (including damage from other components located on the grand cherokee), or in the case of rollover crashes, from other external objects.cas also alleged that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.in its petition, cas cites data from nhtsa's fatality analysis reporting system (fars) showing 172 fatal fire crashes with 254 fatalities involving the subject vehicles from calendar years 1992 through 2008.cas stated that there have been at least 44 crashes with 64 total fatalities (subject and non-subject vehicles) where fire was entered as the most harmful event (mhe) in the fars database.in response to the cas petition, odi made a preliminary examination of available data.fars data showed 2,988 occupants of the subject vehicles have died in crashes since 1992.of those, 55 died in 44 crashes where fire was listed as the most harmful event.identifying crashes most likely associated with the alleged defect as described by cas (defined as the subject vehicle being struck at the 5, 6 or 7 o'clock positions) isolated 10 crashes with 13 occupant fatalities.odi also reviewed the vehicle owner questionnaires (voq) database and identified 12 reports alleging a) a post-crash fuel tank leak and/or b) a post-crash fire potentially related to a fuel tank leak.of the 12 reports, 10 involved fires (two involved fuel leaks only) with 9 alleged injuries and 1 alleged fatality.the existence of these post-crash fires does not, by itself, establish a defect trend.further review and investigation into these incidents is needed to determine the existence of any relationship between the alleged defect and each fire or leak.it should be noted that odi also conducted a preliminary review of the early warning reporting (ewr) data that did not find the subject vehicles to be over-represented for post-crash fires.odi's initial review neither supports nor excludes the possibility that a defect exists in the subject vehicles.however, odi has always taken the position that vehicle fires pose a significant safety risk.accordingly, odi has granted the petition to further investigate the conditions associated with post-crash fires in these vehicles.
DP09005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/06/2009CRASH RELATED FUEL TANK FIRE/LEAK
 In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas)petitioned nhtsa to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleges that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present fire hazards in crashes.cas alleges that the plastic fuel tank is subject to degradation and rupture.cas alleges that the tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding makes it more vulnerable during crashes to impacts from other vehicles, vehicle components from the grand cherokee itself, or, in the case of rollover crashes, from other objects.cas also alleges that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.odi has identified 12 vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) for model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokeesreporting 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 voqs, 10 involved fires and two involved fuel leaks without fire.odi 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.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY
PE10031CHRYSLER GROUP LLC08/23/201006/14/2012Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 Nhtsa has conducted extensive analysis of the data regarding fuel tank integrity for the model year (my) 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokee (jgc). as a result of that work, the agency has decided to upgrade its safety defect investigation to an engineering analysis and to expand the scope of vehicles included in the investigation. nhtsa's assessment of the data collected during this investigation indicates that rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the jgc than in the non-jeep peer vehicles. in addition, the agency's analysis of its fars data for the peer vehicles and three jeep models shows a higher incidence of rear-impact, fatal fire crashes for the jeep products.pe10-031 had focused on the fuel tank system integrity of the jgc vehicles during rear-end collisions and impacts.the fuel tank is located at the rear of the vehicle, between the bumper and axle, and is manufactured from a plastic material (hdpe).three peer vehicles (across the same my range as the jgc) were identified for comparative assessment: the chevrolet blazer, ford explorer, and toyota 4runner.odi has collected and assessed a significant volume of data for the jgc and three peer vehicles under the defect petition (dp) 09-005 and pe10-031, much of which was either provided by the petitioner or by the subject and peer manufacturers in response to odi's information request letters.nhtsa has also utilized its fars database.fatal crash data was collected for the jgc and its three peers, along with data for two other jeep vehicles, the cherokee and liberty, which were also manufactured with rear mounted fuel tanks and assessed by odi as jeep peer vehicles.based on the agency's current analysis, odi is upgrading its investigation to determine whether the subject vehicles contain a defect that presents an unreasonable risk to safety.the subject vehicles for ea12-005 will be my 1993-2004 jgc, my 1993-2001 cherokee, and my 2002-2007 liberty; the estimated production volumes for these vehicles is approximately 5.1 million, although attrition is a factor for the older vehicles.please note that the counts shown in the above failure report summary are for the jgc only (values shown in the total column are unique).data for the other jeep models and possibly other peer models will be collected during the investigation.the odi reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:506249, 549376, 734783, 869217, 10009553, 10335943, 10351589, 10351980, 10357528.
EA12005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC06/12/2012Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 Nhtsa has conducted extensive analysis of the data regarding fuel tank integrity for the model year (my) 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokee (jgc). as a result of that work, the agency has decided to upgrade its safety defect investigation to an engineering analysis and to expand the scope of vehicles included in the investigation. nhtsa's assessment of the data collected during preliminary evaluation (pe) 10-031 indicates that rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the jgc than in the non-jeep peer vehicles. in addition, the agency's analysis of its fars data for the peer vehicles and three jeep models shows a higher incidence of rear-impact, fatal fire crashes for the jeep products.pe10-031 had focused on the fuel tank system integrity of the jgc vehicles during rear-end collisions and impacts.the fuel tank is located at the rear of the vehicle, between the bumper and axle, and is manufactured from a plastic material (hdpe).three peer vehicles (across the same my range as the jgc) were identified for comparative assessment: the chevrolet blazer, ford explorer, and toyota 4runner.odi has collected and assessed a significant volume of data for the jgc and three peer vehicles under the defect petition (dp) 09-005 and pe10-031, much of which was either provided by the petitioner or by the subject and peer manufacturers in response to odi's information request letters.nhtsa has also utilized its fars database.fatal crash data was collected for the jgc and its three peers, along with data for two other jeep vehicles, the cherokee and liberty, which were also manufactured with rear mounted fuel tanks and assessed by odi as jeep peer vehicles.based on the agency's current analysis, odi has upgraded its investigation to determine whether the subject vehicles contain a defect that presents an unreasonable risk to safety.the subject vehicles for the investigation will be my 1993-2004 jgc, my 1993-2001 cherokee, and my 2002-2007 liberty.the estimated production volumes for these vehicles are shown above, although attrition is a factor for the older vehicles.please note that the counts shown in the above failure report summary are for the jgc only (values shown in the total column are unique).data for the other jeep models and possibly other peer models will be collected during the investigation.the odi reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers: jgc:506249, 549376, 734783, 869217, 10009553, 10335943, 10351589, 10351980, 10357528.liberty:10357195, 10366653 (duplicate of 10357195), 10138726, 10149256, 10181332cherokee:10409104
DP09005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/06/200908/23/2010Fuel Storage System Crash Related Fires
 In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned nhtsa to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleged that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present a fire hazard in crashes. cas alleged that the plastic fuel tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding, make it more vulnerable to rupture or leakage from a rear-impact by another vehicle (including damage from other components located on the grand cherokee), or in the case of rollover crashes, from other external objects.cas also alleged that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.in its petition, cas cites data from nhtsa's fatality analysis reporting system (fars) showing 172 fatal fire crashes with 254 fatalities involving the subject vehicles from calendar years 1992 through 2008.cas stated that there have been at least 44 crashes with 64 total fatalities (subject and non-subject vehicles) where fire was entered as the most harmful event (mhe) in the fars database.in response to the cas petition, odi made a preliminary examination of available data.fars data showed 2,988 occupants of the subject vehicles have died in crashes since 1992.of those, 55 died in 44 crashes where fire was listed as the most harmful event.identifying crashes most likely associated with the alleged defect as described by cas (defined as the subject vehicle being struck at the 5, 6 or 7 o'clock positions) isolated 10 crashes with 13 occupant fatalities.odi also reviewed the vehicle owner questionnaires (voq) database and identified 12 reports alleging a) a post-crash fuel tank leak and/or b) a post-crash fire potentially related to a fuel tank leak.of the 12 reports, 10 involved fires (two involved fuel leaks only) with 9 alleged injuries and 1 alleged fatality.the existence of these post-crash fires does not, by itself, establish a defect trend.further review and investigation into these incidents is needed to determine the existence of any relationship between the alleged defect and each fire or leak.it should be noted that odi also conducted a preliminary review of the early warning reporting (ewr) data that did not find the subject vehicles to be over-represented for post-crash fires.odi's initial review neither supports nor excludes the possibility that a defect exists in the subject vehicles.however, odi has always taken the position that vehicle fires pose a significant safety risk.accordingly, odi has granted the petition to further investigate the conditions associated with post-crash fires in these vehicles.
PE10031CHRYSLER GROUP LLC08/23/2010Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned nhtsa to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleged that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present a fire hazard in crashes. cas alleged that the plastic fuel tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding, make it more vulnerable to rupture or leakage from a rear-impact by another vehicle (including damage from other components located on the grand cherokee), or in the case of rollover crashes, from other external objects.cas also alleged that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.in its petition, cas cites data from nhtsa's fatality analysis reporting system (fars) showing 172 fatal fire crashes with 254 fatalities involving the subject vehicles from calendar years 1992 through 2008.cas stated that there have been at least 44 crashes with 64 total fatalities (subject and non-subject vehicles) where fire was entered as the most harmful event (mhe) in the fars database.in response to the cas petition, odi conducted a preliminary examination of available data.fars data showed 2,988 occupants of the subject vehicles have died in crashes since 1992.of those, 55 died in 44 crashes where fire was listed as the most harmful event.identifying crashes most likely associated with the alleged defect as described by cas (defined as the subject vehicle being struck at the 5, 6 or 7 o'clock positions) isolated 10 crashes with 13 occupant fatalities.odi also reviewed the vehicle owner questionnaires (voq) database and identified 12 reports alleging a) a post-crash fuel tank leak and/or b) a post-crash fire potentially related to a fuel tank leak.of the 12 reports, 10 involved fires ( two involved fuel leaks only) with 9 alleged injuries and 1 alleged fatality.the existence of these post-crash fires does not, by itself, establish a defect trend. further review and investigation into these incidents is needed to determine the existence of any relationship between the alleged defect and each fire or leak.it should be noted that odi also conducted a preliminary review of the early warning reporting (ewr) data that did not find the subject vehicles to be over-represented for post-crash fires.odi has granted the petition to further investigate the conditions associated with post-crash fires in these vehicles.
DP09005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/06/2009CRASH RELATED FUEL TANK FIRE/LEAK
 In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas)petitioned nhtsa to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleges that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present fire hazards in crashes.cas alleges that the plastic fuel tank is subject to degradation and rupture.cas alleges that the tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding makes it more vulnerable during crashes to impacts from other vehicles, vehicle components from the grand cherokee itself, or, in the case of rollover crashes, from other objects.cas also alleges that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.odi has identified 12 vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) for model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokeesreporting 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 voqs, 10 involved fires and two involved fuel leaks without fire.odi 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.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY - FILLER PIPE AND CAP
PE10031CHRYSLER GROUP LLC08/23/201006/14/2012Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 Nhtsa has conducted extensive analysis of the data regarding fuel tank integrity for the model year (my) 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokee (jgc). as a result of that work, the agency has decided to upgrade its safety defect investigation to an engineering analysis and to expand the scope of vehicles included in the investigation. nhtsa's assessment of the data collected during this investigation indicates that rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the jgc than in the non-jeep peer vehicles. in addition, the agency's analysis of its fars data for the peer vehicles and three jeep models shows a higher incidence of rear-impact, fatal fire crashes for the jeep products.pe10-031 had focused on the fuel tank system integrity of the jgc vehicles during rear-end collisions and impacts.the fuel tank is located at the rear of the vehicle, between the bumper and axle, and is manufactured from a plastic material (hdpe).three peer vehicles (across the same my range as the jgc) were identified for comparative assessment: the chevrolet blazer, ford explorer, and toyota 4runner.odi has collected and assessed a significant volume of data for the jgc and three peer vehicles under the defect petition (dp) 09-005 and pe10-031, much of which was either provided by the petitioner or by the subject and peer manufacturers in response to odi's information request letters.nhtsa has also utilized its fars database.fatal crash data was collected for the jgc and its three peers, along with data for two other jeep vehicles, the cherokee and liberty, which were also manufactured with rear mounted fuel tanks and assessed by odi as jeep peer vehicles.based on the agency's current analysis, odi is upgrading its investigation to determine whether the subject vehicles contain a defect that presents an unreasonable risk to safety.the subject vehicles for ea12-005 will be my 1993-2004 jgc, my 1993-2001 cherokee, and my 2002-2007 liberty; the estimated production volumes for these vehicles is approximately 5.1 million, although attrition is a factor for the older vehicles.please note that the counts shown in the above failure report summary are for the jgc only (values shown in the total column are unique).data for the other jeep models and possibly other peer models will be collected during the investigation.the odi reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:506249, 549376, 734783, 869217, 10009553, 10335943, 10351589, 10351980, 10357528.
EA12005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC06/12/2012Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 Nhtsa has conducted extensive analysis of the data regarding fuel tank integrity for the model year (my) 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokee (jgc). as a result of that work, the agency has decided to upgrade its safety defect investigation to an engineering analysis and to expand the scope of vehicles included in the investigation. nhtsa's assessment of the data collected during preliminary evaluation (pe) 10-031 indicates that rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the jgc than in the non-jeep peer vehicles. in addition, the agency's analysis of its fars data for the peer vehicles and three jeep models shows a higher incidence of rear-impact, fatal fire crashes for the jeep products.pe10-031 had focused on the fuel tank system integrity of the jgc vehicles during rear-end collisions and impacts.the fuel tank is located at the rear of the vehicle, between the bumper and axle, and is manufactured from a plastic material (hdpe).three peer vehicles (across the same my range as the jgc) were identified for comparative assessment: the chevrolet blazer, ford explorer, and toyota 4runner.odi has collected and assessed a significant volume of data for the jgc and three peer vehicles under the defect petition (dp) 09-005 and pe10-031, much of which was either provided by the petitioner or by the subject and peer manufacturers in response to odi's information request letters.nhtsa has also utilized its fars database.fatal crash data was collected for the jgc and its three peers, along with data for two other jeep vehicles, the cherokee and liberty, which were also manufactured with rear mounted fuel tanks and assessed by odi as jeep peer vehicles.based on the agency's current analysis, odi has upgraded its investigation to determine whether the subject vehicles contain a defect that presents an unreasonable risk to safety.the subject vehicles for the investigation will be my 1993-2004 jgc, my 1993-2001 cherokee, and my 2002-2007 liberty.the estimated production volumes for these vehicles are shown above, although attrition is a factor for the older vehicles.please note that the counts shown in the above failure report summary are for the jgc only (values shown in the total column are unique).data for the other jeep models and possibly other peer models will be collected during the investigation.the odi reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers: jgc:506249, 549376, 734783, 869217, 10009553, 10335943, 10351589, 10351980, 10357528.liberty:10357195, 10366653 (duplicate of 10357195), 10138726, 10149256, 10181332cherokee:10409104
PE10031CHRYSLER GROUP LLC08/23/2010Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
 In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned nhtsa to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleged that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present a fire hazard in crashes. cas alleged that the plastic fuel tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding, make it more vulnerable to rupture or leakage from a rear-impact by another vehicle (including damage from other components located on the grand cherokee), or in the case of rollover crashes, from other external objects.cas also alleged that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.in its petition, cas cites data from nhtsa's fatality analysis reporting system (fars) showing 172 fatal fire crashes with 254 fatalities involving the subject vehicles from calendar years 1992 through 2008.cas stated that there have been at least 44 crashes with 64 total fatalities (subject and non-subject vehicles) where fire was entered as the most harmful event (mhe) in the fars database.in response to the cas petition, odi conducted a preliminary examination of available data.fars data showed 2,988 occupants of the subject vehicles have died in crashes since 1992.of those, 55 died in 44 crashes where fire was listed as the most harmful event.identifying crashes most likely associated with the alleged defect as described by cas (defined as the subject vehicle being struck at the 5, 6 or 7 o'clock positions) isolated 10 crashes with 13 occupant fatalities.odi also reviewed the vehicle owner questionnaires (voq) database and identified 12 reports alleging a) a post-crash fuel tank leak and/or b) a post-crash fire potentially related to a fuel tank leak.of the 12 reports, 10 involved fires ( two involved fuel leaks only) with 9 alleged injuries and 1 alleged fatality.the existence of these post-crash fires does not, by itself, establish a defect trend. further review and investigation into these incidents is needed to determine the existence of any relationship between the alleged defect and each fire or leak.it should be noted that odi also conducted a preliminary review of the early warning reporting (ewr) data that did not find the subject vehicles to be over-represented for post-crash fires.odi has granted the petition to further investigate the conditions associated with post-crash fires in these vehicles.
DP09005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/06/200908/23/2010Fuel Storage System Crash Related Fires
 In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned nhtsa to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleged that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present a fire hazard in crashes. cas alleged that the plastic fuel tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding, make it more vulnerable to rupture or leakage from a rear-impact by another vehicle (including damage from other components located on the grand cherokee), or in the case of rollover crashes, from other external objects.cas also alleged that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.in its petition, cas cites data from nhtsa's fatality analysis reporting system (fars) showing 172 fatal fire crashes with 254 fatalities involving the subject vehicles from calendar years 1992 through 2008.cas stated that there have been at least 44 crashes with 64 total fatalities (subject and non-subject vehicles) where fire was entered as the most harmful event (mhe) in the fars database.in response to the cas petition, odi made a preliminary examination of available data.fars data showed 2,988 occupants of the subject vehicles have died in crashes since 1992.of those, 55 died in 44 crashes where fire was listed as the most harmful event.identifying crashes most likely associated with the alleged defect as described by cas (defined as the subject vehicle being struck at the 5, 6 or 7 o'clock positions) isolated 10 crashes with 13 occupant fatalities.odi also reviewed the vehicle owner questionnaires (voq) database and identified 12 reports alleging a) a post-crash fuel tank leak and/or b) a post-crash fire potentially related to a fuel tank leak.of the 12 reports, 10 involved fires (two involved fuel leaks only) with 9 alleged injuries and 1 alleged fatality.the existence of these post-crash fires does not, by itself, establish a defect trend.further review and investigation into these incidents is needed to determine the existence of any relationship between the alleged defect and each fire or leak.it should be noted that odi also conducted a preliminary review of the early warning reporting (ewr) data that did not find the subject vehicles to be over-represented for post-crash fires.odi's initial review neither supports nor excludes the possibility that a defect exists in the subject vehicles.however, odi has always taken the position that vehicle fires pose a significant safety risk.accordingly, odi has granted the petition to further investigate the conditions associated with post-crash fires in these vehicles.
DP09005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/06/2009CRASH RELATED FUEL TANK FIRE/LEAK
 In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas)petitioned nhtsa to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleges that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present fire hazards in crashes.cas alleges that the plastic fuel tank is subject to degradation and rupture.cas alleges that the tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding makes it more vulnerable during crashes to impacts from other vehicles, vehicle components from the grand cherokee itself, or, in the case of rollover crashes, from other objects.cas also alleges that the fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.odi has identified 12 vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) for model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokeesreporting 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 voqs, 10 involved fires and two involved fuel leaks without fire.odi 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.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
02/22/20081
 1994 jeep grand cherokee caught fire while driving. consumer observed smoke coming from the vehicle. after he pulled over, he noticed flames under the vehicle. *kb the fire department stated it appeared to be a fuel leak that started the fire, but they were unable to confirm the ignition source of the fire. (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0181-91). *jb
09/21/19990
 While driving down the road in cruise control set on 60 carrying a trailer, lost all the lights on vehicle. consumer stopped car, and has seen smoke in the back. went to the hatch to see where the smoke was comiing from. when opening hatch, noticed some flikering that looked like fire. then consumer proceded to take out the belongings. consumer had to flag down some help and within two minutes the whole back was in engulfed in flames. earlier that day consumer had some electrical work done. dealer said that electrical problems did not cause the problem. *ak
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - CARBURETOR SYSTEM
11/20/2002
 Exhaust manifold cracked. (just above donut) dt
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY
05/02/20021190001
 My 1994 jeep grand cherokee has fuel line problems that know one can seem to fix. there aren't any leaks, however, it jerks and slips into a neutral state from time to time. first i began to add expensive fuel cleaners (didn't work), then i had it serviced by 3 different mechanics who all performed fuel emission cleaning. currently, it still slips, then jerks forward with extreme force-one time causing an accident. now the jeep cannot stay on when it is started, it comes on and drops dead, i have to race the engine to keep it from shutting back down. in 2001 i had a transmission overhaul therefore it cannot be a transmission problem. the coolant sensor is bad signal stays on the computer, i went to replace it, however, jeep eagle and the rest of the autoparts businesses have a different model sensor that doesn't appear to be the same as the one in my jeep, their reply is i don't know why they look different, it must be the wrong one. the rear lamp failure light is also on yet there are no bad lights in the rear, and i checked every last one of them. during the summer there is water leaking from under the dash board onto driver and the passengers feet. what i would like to know is whether these issues are only my problem or the manufacturer? *la
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP
03/28/2004120000405/15/1998
 94 grand cherokee. this will be the forth time that i have replaced the fuel pump in my jeep. same behavior, stalls without notice while decelerating or letting off the accelerator. if not replaced right away it will not stay started when you first start it for the day. eventually it will not start at all. i also had to replace the driver side door hinge which came completely off the door. it was making popping noise when opening and shutting of the door. had it check on several occasions and was told that jeep had a problem with the doors. eventually the door fell off. i have never seen this before. i was shocked to find out that a door was $1600.00. my back door on driver side is popping as well. i guess i don't open and shut the back as much. but the body shop said it will eventually fall off. have there been any other concerns like these two. *jb
 While driving 65 mph and without warning vehicle shutdown. mechanic stated that it was caused by a malfunctioned fuel pump.*ak
1
 Fuel pump assembly failed. *slc
1
 Fuel pump failed causing the vehicle to stall without warning causing a sudden loss of power, check engine light did not illuminate prior to failure. nlm
09/04/1999
 At 45mph, vehicle stalled out. it was vibrating prior to stalling. towed to shop. had fuel pump replaced. the vehicle still stalls. returned & had the air & fuel filter changed. the problem still exists. its stalls at least once a day, but not consistantly. *ak
02/27/19951
 Electrical fuel pump malfunctioned, vehicle stalled, resulting in a fire. *ak a fire. *ak
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
10/14/2001104/01/1994
 Frame fuel filter (g7399) suddenly ruptured upon starting the vehicle. this was the first start after the vehicle had sat idle for two weeks in my closed garage. there was absolutely no prior indication of any problem. unknowingly, i drove vehicle, with windows closed, 3 miles with gasoline spraying out of a 50 mm longitudinal slit in the filter body. upon parking/exiting the vehicle the smell of gasoline was overwhelming. the entire left rear wheel area and pavement beneath vehicle was drenched in gasoline. i estimate 8.5 gallons (3/8 of a tank) of gasoline had been sprayed out in only ten minutes of driving. frame fuel filter was installed on 09/28/97 at 37715 miles. filter failed on 10/14/01 at 64460 miles. in my opinion, the problem lies with the frame filter not with the vehicle. *ak
09/04/1999
 At 45mph, vehicle stalled out. it was vibrating prior to stalling. towed to shop. had fuel pump replaced. the vehicle still stalls. returned & had the air & fuel filter changed. the problem still exists. its stalls at least once a day, but not consistantly. *ak
09/17/19971
 Engine dies out due to faulty spark plugs and fuel filter.
 Fuel line is leaking. delaers noted leak could have been caused by a rock striking underbody of vehicle. *ak
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
06/20/20011
 Consumer stated the engine surged at times, the dealer performed fuel injection service.*jb
12/23/1996
 Engine compartment caught on fire. had just driven from one shopping center to another and was in the store for 15 minutes when someone said that vehicle was on fire. fire inspector said a short in wiring near distributor was the cause. *ak
12/05/19941
 Fuel injection impaired air flow. *skd
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM - INJECTORS
12/28/1995208/01/1993
 Failure of the abs brake system, also fuel injection failed, causing vehicle to stall. *ak
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY
09/19/2000
 There is an electrical a short in t fuel tank assembly,fuel is not getting to the engine,causing vehicle not to start. had part replaced problem, but it reoccurred. *ak
08/12/19982
 Consumer experiencing problem with vehicle shutting off due to gas tank plastic materials causing dissolved fumes to enter gas pump. this condition causes pump failure and lack of gas to continue to engine. dealer / manufacturer notified. *ak
05/16/19956
 Gas tank leaks.
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP
06/08/2004144260207/01/2003
 Car will not start. engine turns over but doesn't start. the autoshop told me that the fuel pump is shot. i went on to some jeep forums and there was a considerable amount of people that also had the same problem. after contacting the jeep help line, they basically told me that the car is 10 years old and that i could find anything i wanted on the internet, but for a jeep 1995 that is 9 years old they did submit a recall for the same problem i am having. he was very rude to me also. in these forums i found that people that filed a small claims lawsuit against jeep were paid out of court. so it seems like they know about the problem but are trying to stay away from fixing the problem. most people have had to replace the fuel pump about 3 to 4 times and it still hasn't fixed the problem. also to fix the fuel pump it costs about $500 per incident.*ak