NHTSA Defect Investigations for the 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) is an office within the NHTSA which investigates serious safety problems in the design, construction or performance of vehicles.
The NHTSA is authorized to order manufacturers to recall and repair vehicles, if the ODI finds a safety issue.
NHTSA investigations for the 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee, both ongoing and closed, are listed below:
INVESTIGATION: Fuel Storage System Crash Related Fires
NHTSA Defect Investigation #DP09005
Status:
CLOSED
Date Opened: November 06, 2009
Date Closed: August 23, 2010
Recall: No recall issued
Component(s): Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Filler Pipe And Cap
Summary: 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.
Component(s): Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Filler Pipe And Cap
Summary: ODI has completed an extensive analysis of rear crash fuel tank system integrity data for the subject Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Liberty vehicles (SVs).As of June 2013, ODI knew of 56 post-collision fatal fires, 28 non-fatal fires, and 6 fuel leak incidents (totaling 90 incidents, 75 fatalities and 58 injuries) involving the SVs.Based on this analysis, ODI issued a Recall Request Letter (RRL) on June 3, 2013 requesting that Chrysler recall the Grand Cherokee and Liberty vehicles due to the rate of fatal, non-fatal fire, and fuel leak incidents when compared to peer vehicles (compact and medium SUVs) built during the same time period.In the RRL, ODI described how the location of the aft-mounted fuel tank made the SVs vulnerable to rear impact crash fuel tank failures.During the analysis, besides the high speed/high severity crashes present in both the SV and peer vehicles, ODI observed a significant number of low and moderate speed rear impact crash related fires and leaks, particularly in the Liberty.The data also demonstrated that SVs originally equipped with towing hitch receivers (trailer hitches) appeared to be under-represented in rear-impact related fuel tank failures.In the RRL, ODI requested that Chrysler provide its response by June 18, 2013, otherwise NHTSA might proceed to an Initial Decision that the SVs contain a safety-related defect.Chrysler responded to the RRL on June 4, 2013 and vigorously disputed the tentative findings of the RRL.Among other things, Chrysler argued that the SVs had an overall safety record superior to their peers, met or exceeded all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) and only experienced fires in severe high energy rear impacts.Nonetheless, while continuing to maintain that the SVs did not contain a safety-related defect, Chrysler proposed a recall (13V-252) of approximately 2.5M (1.6M currently registered) model year (MY) 1993 - 1998 Grand Cherokee (ZJ) and MY 2002-2007 Liberty (KJ) vehicles on June 18, 2013.The recall remedy submitted by Chrysler would employ a hitch receiver assembly consisting of a steel cross-member behind the fuel tank with forward-projecting arms bolted to the frame rails on either side of the fuel tank.For the MY 1999 - 2004 Grand Cherokee, Chrysler indicated it would conduct a customer satisfaction campaign and inspect vehicles equipped with aftermarket tow hitch receivers, and if necessary, replace any such hitch receivers whose conditionmay increase the risk of fuel system failure in rear crashes.Examination of the available data established that the MY 1999 - 2004 Grand Cherokee did not pose the same magnitude of safety risk as the MY 1993 - 1998 Grand Cherokee and MY 2002-2007 Liberty, particularly in low and moderate speed rear impacts.Because the agency has concluded that the vehicles do not present an unreasonable risk to safety, ODI is closing its investigation of the MY 1999 - 2004 Grand Cherokee.Although it was not within the scope of the Petition initiating this investigation or the Preliminary Evaluation preceding this EA, ODI also examined the performance of the MY 1993 - 2001 Cherokee as part of this investigation.NHTSA's assessment of the available data for the Cherokee did not establish an unreasonable risk in comparison to peer vehicles.ODI does not approve proposed defect remedies.While offering to install hitch receiver assemblies on the MY 1993-1998 Grand Cherokees and 2002-2007 Liberty, Chrysler did not, in ODI's view, provide enough evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed remedy in rear impacts.The Complete Summary for this Closing Resume (EA12-005) can be seen by opening the following document:www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM466679/INCLA-EA12005-9765.PDF
INVESTIGATION: Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation #PE10031
Status:
CLOSED
Date Opened: August 23, 2010
Date Closed: June 14, 2012
Recall: No recall issued
Component(s): Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Filler Pipe And Cap
Summary: 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/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:506249, 549376, 734783, 869217, 10009553, 10335943, 10351589, 10351980, 10357528.
Summary: ODI opened EA02-029 to determine whether a safety-related defect trend existed in the MY 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee hood latch assemblies.during EA02-029, there was no specific failure mechanism identified that could differentiate the MY 1997 vehicles from other vehicles containing this same hood latch assembly or could account for their higher complaint rate.as a result, ODI expanded the scope of this investigation to include all Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with the subject hood latch assemblies.in performing EA02-029, it was determined that some of the secondary hood latches in the subject vehicles may exhibit increased operating frictional resistance; however, since none of the primary hood latches showed any evidence of mechanical or operational deficiency and the complaint rate of hood fly-ups measured over an extended exposure time was low, a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.
Summary: DaimlerChrysler has recalled the zj models to incorporate a secondary detent spring into the shifter.even though the wj 6 cyl. Vehicles use the same manual detent lever that as the vehicles in the recall population, ODI believes that the wj redesigned shifter, which improves floor shifter functionality and ergonomics, helps to provide feedback to the driver to indicate whether ¿park¿ has or has not been achieved.although the investigator was able to induce a ¿false park¿ in the wj platform for 6 cyl. Vehicles, the level of difficulty was greater than that required for all zj models, and the complaint rate was significantly lower than the recalled zj population.further, the ODI investigator was also able to create a ¿false park¿ in peer vehicles with the same level of difficulty and frequency as the subject vehicle wj platform.the wj complaint rate was inflated due to national exposure through the press. The complaint rate prier to the July 5, 2001 media coverage for the wj vehicles is similar to the peer vehicle incident rate.based on the above, a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time in the wj population.accordingly, this investigation is closed with a safety recal for the "zj" platform only.
INVESTIGATION: INADVERTENT ROLLAWAY IN REVERSE PARK
Summary: On January 25, 1994 Chrysler conducted a safety recall to correct the steering shaft assembly in model year 1993 Grand Cherokee and grand wagoneer.the recall population was 115,000 vehicles.the defect was the molded plastic pin which connects the upper steering column shaft and the lower steering column shaft which may have been sheared/damaged prior to the installation of the steering assembly into the vehile.if this occurred, the upper steering shaft will separate from the lower steering shaft causing complete loss of the steering control of the vehicle.as a remedy, Chrysler installed a restraining sleeve to limit the amount of steering shaft movement available.
INVESTIGATION: REAR AXLE SHAFT SEPARATION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation #PE95049
Status:
CLOSED
Date Opened: August 17, 1995
Date Closed: January 26, 1996
Recall: No recall issued
Component(s): Suspension
Summary: This investigation was opened to examine the failure mode and the risk to motor vehicle safety posed by allegations of rear axle separations.the rear axle shaft and housing design is typical of those in which the weight of the vehicle is carried on the axle housing.the left and right axle shafts, supported by roller bearings, are situated inside the axle housing.the inboard splined end of the axle shaft receives power transmitted from the differential assembly, providing torque to the rear wheels.the allegations are that the axle shaft fails, resulting in the separation of a wheel and axle hub assembly or the entire axle shaft and wheel assembly, depending on the location of the axle shaft failure.as identified by Chrysler, the subject rear axles are dana 35C and 35cm models, which have been used on the subject vehicles since the 1990 model year.a safety defect trend with respect to the subject axle shafts has not been identified.see hard copy resume for full text of summary.
