Roughly 1.6 million Jeeps (1993-98 Grand Cherokee and 2002-7 Liberty models) were recalled because their gas tanks can burst into flames when hit from behind. You end up with scenes like this:
The problem appears to be that the gas tank is mounted behind the axle, and were "unacceptably vulnerable to deadly fires in rear impacts"
The fix Jeep came up with is to install a tow hitch that would protect the gas tank in the event of a collision. This is where the rub is - Jeep has advised some owners that they wouldn't be able to repair their Jeeps because the Jeep is to rusty to mount a hitch to.
In December, however, Jeep informed the safety agency that an estimated 3 to 6 percent of the 1.6 million recalled vehicles would not be repaired because of “rust, accident damage or abuse - amounting to 48,000 to 96,000 vehicles.
It doesn't look like Jeep is going to win this stand off. Allan Kam, who worked for the highway safety agency from 1975 to 2000 said :
"If you can’t repair it, you replace it or buy it back."
The problem appears to be that the gas tank is mounted behind the axle, and were "unacceptably vulnerable to deadly fires in rear impacts"
The fix Jeep came up with is to install a tow hitch that would protect the gas tank in the event of a collision. This is where the rub is - Jeep has advised some owners that they wouldn't be able to repair their Jeeps because the Jeep is to rusty to mount a hitch to.
In December, however, Jeep informed the safety agency that an estimated 3 to 6 percent of the 1.6 million recalled vehicles would not be repaired because of “rust, accident damage or abuse - amounting to 48,000 to 96,000 vehicles.
It doesn't look like Jeep is going to win this stand off. Allan Kam, who worked for the highway safety agency from 1975 to 2000 said :
"If you can’t repair it, you replace it or buy it back."
