Gas tank burst into flames

Kniggit · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2007 12:37 am

Some times I regret "speed reading" the forums.

K

carroll952 · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2007 12:52 am

Kniggit wrote:

Some times I regret "speed reading" the forums.

K

Haha no worries. I do the same thing all the time.

Justin

Dutchy · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2007 9:48 am

have seen it before only it was not 'her best friends daughter' but a guy claiming it was his own daughter, looks like a hoax

carroll952 · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2007 10:15 am

Dutchy wrote:

have seen it before only it was not 'her best friends daughter' but a guy claiming it was his own daughter, looks like a hoax

Oh yeah, definatly could be a hoax. Even if it did happen I wouldn't attribute the fire to a "bad vehicle design" like the old Pintos. Crap happens, it would most likely be bad luck.

After googling it I found out in the early '90s there was alot of crap going on with GM about dangers involving their side mounted gas tanks. NBC did a story on it, but they were foolish enough to actually use small explosives and some sort of incindiary device to start the gas on fire because they couldn't replicate an accident that happened. GM was ordered by a court to pay like $100 mil to a family for a truck fire that happened. NBC couldn't duplicate it so they faked it and made themselves look like idiots.

Justin

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sat May 05, 2007 12:31 am

carroll952 wrote:

Dutchy wrote:

have seen it before only it was not 'her best friends daughter' but a guy claiming it was his own daughter, looks like a hoax

Oh yeah, definatly could be a hoax. Even if it did happen I wouldn't attribute the fire to a "bad vehicle design" like the old Pintos. Crap happens, it would most likely be bad luck.

After googling it I found out in the early '90s there was alot of crap going on with GM about dangers involving their side mounted gas tanks. NBC did a story on it, but they were foolish enough to actually use small explosives and some sort of incindiary device to start the gas on fire because they couldn't replicate an accident that happened. GM was ordered by a court to pay like $100 mil to a family for a truck fire that happened. NBC couldn't duplicate it so they faked it and made themselves look like idiots.

Justin

With NBC’s liberal biased views, I’m not surprised. :wink:

k99jk99j · **Posted:** Sat May 05, 2007 7:36 am

my aunts uncle's cousin who has this friend, saw big foot???? yeah right! mike

jcphoto20 · **Joined:** Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:36 am **Posts:** 507

so what are you saying? we should always leave our gas tank skid plate on? nothing else you can do.

that seems like fairly negligible damage for getting hit by a train.

USAFCOP · **Posted:** Sat May 05, 2007 10:55 pm

Most DJs were only 2wd.

As for the fuel tank thing, on all vehicles there is a risk, but remember, the vapors are worse than the liquid.

KW AV8R · **Posted:** Sun May 06, 2007 12:24 am

My parents had a Pinto while I was growing up and the Ford's recall installed a metal plate to protect the gas tank. My thinking is that the gas tank skid would work much the same way as Ford's solution for the Pinto.

I have actually heard of this issue with the KJ before but wrote it off as relatively isolated incidents. However, it would be interesting to know the exact circumstances involved (fuel tank level, impact speed, skid plates, etc.) Could it be possible that the collisions were all between the KJ and a smaller car that went under the rear end, punctured an unprotected gas tank, and fuel seeped onto the other car's battery? :roll:

gone_jeepin · **Posted:** Sun May 06, 2007 1:52 am

carroll952 wrote:

Kniggit wrote:

If this really did happen sorry to hear it but am I the first one to think Ford Pinto?

K

The thing with the Pinto was there were many major design flaws that Ford even knew about.
Justin

That sounds familiar.....

hmmm front suspension design causes balljoint failure, weak front diff........you get the picture and if not go look in the garage :lol:

But even pertaining to Ford just think about all those explorers they finally recalled.

WYScott · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 4:10 pm

Hello,
This is my first post here. I came across this thread using the search function. I have been researching Jeep Libertys, as my niece is considering buying one. It is no hoax, nor is it a "one in a million" chance. Several fatalities have occurred in similar rear end collisions involving Jeep Libertys. I have found mention of this on numerous auto forums. Jeep has already settled out of court on at least one case. Just like Ford did with the Pinto.
This is due to a design flaw. The Liberty's gas tank, due to it's location, shears at the fill tube in a rear end collision.

Just like the Pinto.

http://forums.automotive.com/70/6228262 ... index.html

http://www.autosafetyexpert.com/defect_ ... 20-%20FIRE
"The fuel tank system of the recent and current Jeep Liberty sport utility vehicle (and other Jeep models) is unsafe and defectively designed. The fuel tank is located vulnerably behind the rear axle ... placing it within the vehicle's rear "crush zone" (pictured below) where it is certain to become crushed and ruptured in rear-impact collision accidents."

Think about it. Why in the world would anybody put a gas tank in a part of the vehicle that is designed to crumple in an accident.

Take your chances if you like, I'm going to steer my niece to a safer vehicle.

Don't worry though, it probably won't happen to you. Or your wife, or kids.

Is it worth the chance?

Scott

jcphoto20 · **Joined:** Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:36 am **Posts:** 507

[quote="Kniggit"]

That sounds familiar.....

hmmm front suspension design causes balljoint failure, weak front diff........you get the picture and if not go look in the garage :lol:

[/quote]

never had any ball joint problems, original ones were still tight when i finally submitted at 50k and let them do the change. and from what i understand the front diff breaks because people have a spinning wheel in the air and it snaps when it hits.

they never intended a liberty to go rock climbing anyways, folks just like to stretch and push the limits

Fouros · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 9:13 pm

wanker i have taken my chances for the last 120,000 miles in my KJ , seen photo's of VERY Bad collisions where the occupants of said Dangerous KJ's have walked away

I would rather my wife or children be in my Jeep than any other make of vehicle if they were in an accident

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 11:56 pm

I guess all those vehicle owners out there with fuel tanks behind the rear axle are screwed and we should be hearing about all kinds of firey deaths every single day. Jeep Liberty is not the only newer vehicle out there with fuel tanks close to the rear.

Just another conspiracy theory type of freak that wants to take over Ralph Naders place in history.

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2007 1:52 am

WYScott wrote:

Hello,
This is my first post here. I came across this thread using the search function. I have been researching Jeep Libertys, as my niece is considering buying one. It is no hoax, nor is it a "one in a million" chance. Several fatalities have occurred in similar rear end collisions involving Jeep Libertys. I have found mention of this on numerous auto forums. Jeep has already settled out of court on at least one case. Just like Ford did with the Pinto.
This is due to a design flaw. The Liberty's gas tank, due to it's location, shears at the fill tube in a rear end collision.

Just like the Pinto.

http://forums.automotive.com/70/6228262 ... index.html

http://www.autosafetyexpert.com/defect_ ... 20-%20FIRE
"The fuel tank system of the recent and current Jeep Liberty sport utility vehicle (and other Jeep models) is unsafe and defectively designed. The fuel tank is located vulnerably behind the rear axle ... placing it within the vehicle's rear "crush zone" (pictured below) where it is certain to become crushed and ruptured in rear-impact collision accidents."

Think about it. Why in the world would anybody put a gas tank in a part of the vehicle that is designed to crumple in an accident.

Take your chances if you like, I'm going to steer my niece to a safer vehicle.

Don't worry though, it probably won't happen to you. Or your wife, or kids.

Is it worth the chance?

Scott

Go spam somewhere else. This can happen in any vehicle if hit hard enough. Are you an engineer? How do you know it's a design flaw? You dont know the circumstances of each and every one of these cases. People die in car accidents every minute of everyday does that mean they all have design flaws becasue the kia couldn't take the impact of a kenworth at 80mph? stfu

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2007 2:08 am

Out of the thousands of wrecked liberties I have seen none of them hit in the rear burned in any way.

I did see a volvo once that had that happen.

itsajeepthing · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2007 5:52 am

Guys, don't feed the trolls!

the1jferg · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2007 9:09 am

There have been three of these accidents in south Texas over the last few months

I've seen the pictures in the paper and on the news

Verified

RedJeepCRD · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2007 2:58 pm

I've been an officer for a few years now, and it's very rare to see a crash where things just explode. I have been to a few where people were entrapped and could not get out before the vehicle burned up. These are extremely rare occurrences. Just try to drive careful. It doesn't matter what you drive (hummer to bug) if you get hit just right it can kill you. Sometimes just the impact, even with seat belts and airbags is enough to kill you. All you can do is take every precaution, wear you seat belt, try to drive a safe vehicle, and drive carefully. From what I've seen of Jeep Libertys involved in crashes, they are a safe vehicle.

Wes

trailpixie · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2007 3:53 pm

dieselenthusiast wrote:

With NBC’s liberal biased views, I’m not surprised. :wink:

That's not liberal....that's unethical.

Gas tank burst into flames

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