

Including the 1993-thru-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV and the 2002-thru-2007 Jeep Liberty SUV. Thankfully, most automakers made that safety change as their new models evolved, but there were exceptions. Move the fuel tank away from the rear bumper, and design it into the safer location forward of the rear axle. I felt the case was sending a message to the entire auto industry:

I testified in the precedent-setting “reckless homicide” Pinto trial in Indiana in 1980. Many of us will remember the notorious Ford Pinto, which made headlines in the 1970’s and 1980’s with revelations about its terribly vulnerable fuel tank located near the rear bumper, with resulting fuel-fed fires in rear-impact accidents coast-to-coast.
