Fuel-tank problems continue to plague Jeep, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into 3 million of the SUVs to determine whether the placement of the tank is responsible for dozens of post-crash fires and related deaths. The administration's initial findings show that the problems with 1993 to 2004 model year Jeeps are "most likely associated with the alleged defect," according to a report in Automotive News.
The Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit group, alleged in a petition to NHTSA that the fuel tank in the Jeep Grand Cherokee extends below the rear bumper, leaving it exposed in crashes and rollovers. The center also alleges that the tank's fuel filler neck tears off in crashes.
Chrysler, which owns Jeep, is cooperating with the investigation and is quick to point out that it is just that, and not a recall -- yet, anyway.
The position of the fuel tank in the Grand Cherokee was changed beginning with the 2005 model.
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