[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/the-jeep-fire-problem-fires-and-explosions-in-jeeps-with-rear-gas-tanks\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/the-jeep-fire-problem-fires-and-explosions-in-jeeps-with-rear-gas-tanks\/","headline":"The Jeep Fire Problem: Fires and Explosions in Jeeps with Rear Gas Tanks","name":"The Jeep Fire Problem: Fires and Explosions in Jeeps with Rear Gas Tanks","description":"A Look at the Danger and Trauma Surrounding This Defect & What You Can Do if You\u2019ve Been Affected Explosions upon impact. Fiery flames engulfing vehicles. Injuries sustained. Lives lost. Explosions upon impact. Fiery flames engulfing vehicles. Injuries sustained. Lives lost. These descriptors are things we\u2019d never hope to hear, but unfortunately, the reality remains\u2014when… Continue reading The Jeep Fire Problem: Fires and Explosions in Jeeps with Rear Gas Tanks<\/span><\/a>","datePublished":"2020-01-24","dateModified":"2026-04-17","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/author\/matt-kahn\/#Person","name":"Matt Kahn","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/author\/matt-kahn\/","identifier":25,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e04949bdf1f2184cdeab337bb39535a4c17c4beb3ad3cd47e5524b20b38274a9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e04949bdf1f2184cdeab337bb39535a4c17c4beb3ad3cd47e5524b20b38274a9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Butler Kahn","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Butler-Law-Firm-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Butler-Law-Firm-Logo.png","width":210,"height":93}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Jeep-Fire.jpg","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Jeep-Fire.jpg","height":569,"width":1235},"url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/the-jeep-fire-problem-fires-and-explosions-in-jeeps-with-rear-gas-tanks\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wTaNltIyQM0#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wTaNltIyQM0","name":"Jeep Fires & Explosions: Jeep Liberty, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Cherokee","description":"Jeep manufactured and sold millions of SUVs with gas tanks located in the extreme rear of the vehicle, behind the rear axle and right next to the plastic \"bumper.\" These gas tanks are exposed to rear impact, like the gas tanks on the 1970s-era Ford Pinto. When these Jeeps get rear-ended, the plastic gas tanks can rupture, spraying gasoline on the roadway and on both vehicles. If the gasoline catches fire and the people can't escape in time, the occupants the Jeep and the other vehicle can burn to death.\n\nThis has happened over and over again.\n\nIn 2013, the company that owns Jeep, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (\"FCA\"), finally agreed to recall at least some of these Jeeps with exposed gas tanks. But FCA did not buy the Jeeps back or move the gas tank. Instead, FCA offered free trailer hitches to some Jeep owners. That did not fix the problem\u2014and FCA knew that it wouldn't. Just two years before, an FCA executive had testified under oath that \"the tow package does not protect the tank.\"\n\nThe Jeeps with exposed gas tanks are the 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty, 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1993-2001 Jeep Cherokee, and 1987-2007 Jeep Wrangler. Millions of these Jeeps remain on the road.\n\nFCA has refused to take any further action. FCA claims that thesee Jeeps are \"absolutely safe.\" In our pending litigation against FCA over these Jeep fires, FCA denies any wrongdoing. FCA refuses declines to accept any responsibility for the hundreds of Jeep fires.\n\nFor more information, see https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/jeep-fires-explosions.\n\nFor More Information on Wrongful Death Cases Visit:\nhttps:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/georgia-wrongful-death-statute-explained\/\nhttps:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/georgia-wrongful-death-lawyers\/wrongful-death-faqs\/","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/wTaNltIyQM0\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/wTaNltIyQM0\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/wTaNltIyQM0\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/wTaNltIyQM0\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/wTaNltIyQM0\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2019-12-16T14:56:43+00:00","duration":"PT11M20S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wTaNltIyQM0","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCeMYGr94Sf4LpYwIcO3P2Qw#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCeMYGr94Sf4LpYwIcO3P2Qw","name":"Butler Kahn","description":"We help people and families.\n\nOur firm specializes in personal injury and wrongful death cases. We are based in Atlanta, Georgia. We handle cases across Georgia and, for certain types of cases, all across the country.\n\nTOP-QUALITY LEGAL WORK. We do the work that lots of law firms skip. We track down witnesses, dig into the evidence, and prepare intensely for every deposition, trial, and hearing. We take a small number of cases so that we can devote our full attention to the clients we represent.\n\nPERSONAL SERVICE. If you hire us, you get us. You won't get blocked by a receptionist or leave unreturned messages. If you want to speak with your lawyer, you can.\n\nDOING WHAT WE SAY WE'LL DO. Some law firms make big promises at the beginning, then don\u2019t follow through. We shoot straight \u2013 when we tell you something about your case, good or bad, we mean it. No fake promises.\n\nButler Kahn\n10 Lenox Pointe\nAtlanta, GA 30324\n678-940-1444\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/NTOsbNEALVOnRbUCg7jUzYGcC4kNKsUTEVHm5TtiTQdLlfFKksLTnmiZG_t6zDG_e4ygtnva=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wTaNltIyQM0#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wTaNltIyQM0#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wTaNltIyQM0&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wTaNltIyQM0#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":7337}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wTaNltIyQM0#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":60}]},"about":["Jeep Fire","Liability","Personal Injury","Wrongful Death"],"wordCount":1403,"articleBody":"A Look at the Danger and Trauma Surrounding This Defect & What You Can Do if You\u2019ve Been AffectedExplosions upon impact.Fiery flames engulfing vehicles.Injuries sustained.Lives lost.Explosions upon impact. Fiery flames engulfing vehicles. Injuries sustained. Lives lost. These descriptors are things we\u2019d never hope to hear, but unfortunately, the reality remains\u2014when it comes to Jeeps with rear gas tanks, these circumstances are all too common. When these Jeeps get rear-ended, the plastic gas tanks can rupture and catch fire. The occupants of the Jeep and the other vehicle can burn to death.The Jeep fire defect is an incredibly intricate, complicated issue, but the bulk of the problem (when summed up), is this: Jeep manufactured and sold millions of SUVs with gas tanks that were located in the extreme rear of the vehicle\u2014behind the rear axle and protected only by plastic fascia or a plastic bumper. When these Jeeps get rear-ended, their gas tanks can rupture, leaking gasoline, and endangering both vehicles.If the gasoline catches fire, often, the worst happens.The affected vehicles have caused significant damage\u2014in fact, they\u2019ve caused over 50 deaths and hundreds of fires.But here\u2019s the thing\u2014despite the fact that these vehicle issues have been solved with newer models, these older-model vehicles are still on the road.Every day, we see a Jeep like this drive by us.People have died and people will continue to die unless Fiat Chrysler does something about it\u2014Fiat Chrysler should make a change, take a stand, and own up to the damage, destruction, and danger that\u2019s is caused by these rear gas tank Jeeps.Whether you\u2019ve never heard of this tragedy or you\u2019re regrettably all too familiar with it, we encourage you to keep reading\u2014there\u2019s so much layered within this issue. FCA has refused to do to correct the problem, so these issues continue to plague us and affect the people we care most about.Jeep Fires: The Undeniable IssueIn the past, Jeep manufactured and sold SUVs that were designed with the gas tank located in the rear of the vehicle\u2014similar to the 1970s-era Ford Pinto. The issue with this design lies in the location of the gas tanks\u2014when rear-ended, the\u00a0plastic\u00a0tank is only \u201cprotected\u201d by plastic fascia or a plastic bumper. When a Jeep of this design gets hit from the back, that tank can rupture, the Jeep can explode, and passengers inside the Jeep (and potentially in the other vehicle) can burn alive.The craziest part about this tragedy?\u00a0It\u2019s been happening for decades.Though this design flaw has been corrected in newer model vehicles, those older vehicles are still on the road. The rear gas tank concept is a part of the design for these vehicles:1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees1993-2001 Jeep Cherokees1997-2007 Jeep Wranglers2002-2007 Jeep LibertiesJeep sold millions of these vehicles and despite the increased risk of fuel tank damage and subsequent fire, Fiat Chrysler hasn\u2019t taken them off the road or\u00a0truly recalled them.\u00a0It\u2019s an issue that\u2019s never had a real solution, and as a result, people have continued to die and vehicles have continued to burn.FCA & What They Knew About Jeep FiresThe wildest thing about all of this? Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCA)\u2014the company that owns Jeep\u2014knew this was an issue. They knew these rear-tank Jeeps ran the risk of exploding or catching fire after rear impact. And they weren\u2019t alone.The entire industry had learned this lesson the hard way from the Ford Pinto\u2014a vehicle with a rear gas tank that exploded and caught fire regularly as a result of the placement of the tank.Suffice it to say, even though FCA (through its corporate predecessors, Chrysler and DaimlerChrysler) knew rear-mounted tanks were dangerous and deadly, they sold them anyway.Further, Fiat Chrysler Automotive never truly warned consumers about the potential danger of purchasing a vehicle\u2014even when pressured from safety advocates. And while they implemented a \u2018recall\u2019\u00a0for these vehicles, a true, legitimate recall has never been initiated by Fiat Chrysler Automotive.The Butler Kahn firm represented multiple families who have lost loved ones in rear-tank Jeep that have caught fire after rear-end collisions. To date, we\u2019re one of the only firms that has forced FCA to trial on this issue and defect.The result?A returning verdict that FCA acted with \u201creckless or wanton disregard for human life,\u201d and that FCA failed to warn of a danger that was\u00a0known.\u00a0The jury awarded $150 million. Translation? The jury found that FCA knew that this problem existed, ignored it, and continued to sell dangerous vehicles without intent to keep their customers safe.FCA\u2019s Alleged Recall & Solution: Why a Trailer Hitch Didn\u2019t Solve the ProblemFiat Chrysler Automotive eventually felt the pressure from every side. Non-profits, safety advocates, lawyers, victims, the media, and more pressured Fiat Chrysler to correct the defect.So, FCA issued a \u2018recall.\u2019 But that \u2018recall\u2019\u2014if you can truly call it one\u2014was issued only for some of the rear-tank Jeeps on the roads and didn\u2019t truly solve any of the problems.Here\u2019s how that \u2018recall\u2019 happened.In 2013, Sergio Marchionne (chairman and CEO of FCA) had a private meeting with government officials to discuss the recall as a response to a federal investigation into Jeeps with rear gas tanks by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration\u2019s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI).Marchionne met with the US Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And that\u2019s it\u2014no media, no victims, no lawyers, no engineers. This meeting was not open to the public.It was a private meeting with no records taken\u2014allegedly.Ultimately, it was decided that a \u2018recall\u2019 would invite Jeep owners to bring their vehicles into a dealership to have a trailer hitch installed for free. Fiat Chrysler told the public that hitches would protect the rear gas tanks during rear-end collisions.Except, there was a problem\u2014the hitch doesn\u2019t protect the tank.In fact, this \u201csolution\u201d made things worse. When the hitch would get hit, the chances of it buckling and piercing through the plastic gas tank were increased dramatically. These recall-hitches made the problem worse, not better, and placed people with rear gas tank Jeeps in even more danger.Present-Day Danger: These Jeeps Are Still on the Road TodayHere\u2019s the unfortunate truth\u2014 Fiat Chrysler Automotive still refuses to buy back these old-model Jeeps.They are still on the road.Consumers are still na\u00efve or totally oblivious to the danger these Jeeps with rear gas tanks pose.The worst part? Fiat Chrysler Automotive still vehemently\u00a0denies\u00a0that there\u2019s an actual issue with these Jeeps with rear gas tanks\u2014which, as you can imagine, means there\u2019s no plan for a much-needed, critical recall. Fiat Chrysler denies any wrongdoing, despite the fact that consumers have died as a direct result of the design flaw, despite the fact that they refused to warn potential and current Jeep owners about the dangers of these rear-mounted tank vehicles, and despite the fact that a jury has told them these Jeeps are defective.According to Fiat Chrysler Automotive representatives, these Jeeps are\u00a0absolutely safe.Have You Been Affected by Jeep Fires? You\u2019re Not AloneIf you\u2019ve\u00a0affected by a Jeep fire, know someone who owns a Jeep within the affected model year and make, or have more questions, we encourage you to reach out to Butler Kahn. We\u2019ve worked first-hand with people deeply affected by Fiat Chrysler\u2019s negligence.It\u2019s vital that you seek help from an attorney who has not only the experience with working similar cases, but also believes in you, believes in ethics, honesty, and producing top-quality legal work for those who deserve it most.We believe that what Fiat Chrysler Automotive is doing\u2014and failing to remedy\u2014is wrong. We believe that the longer these poorly designed, defective vehicles are still on the road, the longer we put ourselves, the public, and those we care about at risk.Let us help you seek justice for the wrongful death of your loved ones\u2014contact Butler Kahn at 678-940-1444 or\u00a0contact us directly on our website\u00a0through our online chat or email options."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Jeep Fire Problem: Fires and Explosions in Jeeps with Rear Gas Tanks","item":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/the-jeep-fire-problem-fires-and-explosions-in-jeeps-with-rear-gas-tanks\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]