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Plaintiffs Claim Chrysler Deleted Data About Fuel Tank Design
Plaintiffs' lawyers claim Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV destroyed engineering documents that could explain why the company relocated the fuel tank for its 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV to a spot less likely to be damaged in a crash.
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Plaintiffs' lawyers claim Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV destroyed engineering documents that could explain why the company relocated the fuel tank for its 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV to a spot less likely to be damaged in a crash.
The attorneys are representing the family of a 4-year-old killed when the 1999 Grand Cherokee he was riding in was hit from behind and burst into flames.
Plaintiffs argue FCA positioned the tank in the older SUV only 11 inches from the rear bumper and well within the vehicle's rear "crush zone." FCA says the Jeep met government standards but was hit at such a high speed that fuel tank damage was likely regardless of the tank's location.
FCA insists it didn't destroy evidence. But it hasn't produced engineering documents detailing the relocation of the tank from between the rear bumper and rear axle to a more secure location ahead of the rear axle. A Chrysler spokesman tells Bloomberg News the tank was relocated as part of a redesign to reposition the spare tire and not because the company considered the previous tank location unsafe.
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