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Fires, deaths continue after Jeep fuel tank recall

As Kayla White slowed her SUV behind two other cars to exit a suburban Detroit freeway on Veterans Day, it was rammed from behind by a Cadillac STS. Her red 2003 Jeep Liberty bounced off a Nissan in front of it, rolled onto its side and exploded in flames. Other drivers ran to help but were forced back by the heat. Firefighters arrived in just three minutes but were too late. White, a 23-year-old restaurant hostess who was eight months pregnant, died of burns and smoke inhalation. White is one of more than 70 people killed in fires involving older Jeeps with plastic fuel tanks mounted behind the rear axle. Fiat Chrysler, which makes Jeeps, recalled 1.56 million of them in June 2013 under pressure from US safety regulators. But only 12 percent of the SUVs have been repaired in the 18 months since the recall, a much slower pace than usual. And White's Jeep was not among those fixed. Last week, prosecutors charged the Cadillac driver with committing a moving violation that caused a death. But safety advocates and the lawyer for White's family say the blame belongs as much, if not more, on Chrysler and an auto-industry safety system that moves too slowly to prevent tragedy. The rear-mounted tanks have little structure to protect them if struck from behind, making them susceptible to punctures and fires. Moving the gas tank in front of the axle would be expensive and difficult. So Chrysler's remedy involved installing trailer hitches on the rear of the Jeeps as an extra layer of protection. Government testing showed the hitches protected the tanks in crashes up to 40 mph when stationary Jeeps were hit from behind. But at higher speeds, they wouldn't help. White tried to get the repair done a few weeks before her death but was told by a Jeep dealer that parts weren't available, according to Gerald Thurswell, her family's lawyer. He wouldn't identify the dealership, and his contention could not be independently verified by The Associated Press. Thurswell contends the gas tank ruptured, spilling fuel that touched off the fire. A Chrysler spokesman expressed sympathy to White's family but said the company had no written proof that she asked a dealer about the recall. Two crash reconstruction experts interviewed by the AP say gas wouldn't have spilled from White's Jeep if the tank had been mounted in front of the rear axle. Both say a hitch might have prevented the tank from being damaged, but because both vehicles were in motion, neither expert could say for sure.

FCA plotting larger Jeep Renegade, Fiat 500XL

The joint development of the new Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X goes to show what the combined efforts of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group can yield. But don't expect the Italian-American automaker to stop there. According to Autocar, the company is planning to base another pair of larger SUVs on the same platform. The Jeep version would take the place of the previous Compass and Patriot, slotting in between the Renegade and Cherokee. Meanwhile, the Fiat version would further bolster the Cinquecento lineup to sit alongside the 500 hatchback, 500L minivan and 500X crossover. Details remain few and far between at the moment, but they wouldn't be the extent of the growth plans for either brand. Jeep is reportedly zeroing in on a decision on the long-rumored sub-Renegade model, while also preparing to expand up-market with the return of the Grand Wagoneer. Fiat is reportedly abandoning the prospect of offering a full model line as it once did. While the 500 range will continue to form a vital part of the brand's business, it's also tipped to be going after the no-frills, bare-bones market dominated by Renault's Dacia brand. To that end, it would seek to build upon the Panda by offering a larger, but still low-cost hatchback to rival the Ford Focus and VW Golf, and succeed the discontinued Fiat Bravo, but based on the 500L's platform and built in Turkey to keep costs down. This second pillar of the Fiat brand wouldn't likely be offered in the US, however, where we'd expect the 500 line to continue representing the Italian automaker. Related Video:

2014 Jeep Cherokee: June 2014

I got a text message from Editor-In-Chief Sharon Carty one afternoon proclaiming that her new favorite SUV is our long-term 2014 Jeep Cherokee. And she's not alone. I'm not sure if anyone else on staff would go so far as to use the "favorite" descriptor, but after just over a month of honeymooning with our new long-termer, it's safe to say that the Jeep is quickly finding its way into the good graces of a number of Autoblog staffers.
There's good reason for all that praise, too. Thus far, the Jeep has proven itself to be incredibly competent and comfortable for daily life - it's functional, quiet, and packed with a host of amenities that make it easy to live with. It's been wholly trouble-free (with less than 4,000 miles on the clock as of this writing, it ought to be), but even nitpicks have been few and far between.