Fiat Chrysler must offer to buy back 500,000 pickups, U.S. regulator says

You mean Sam Elliot was bullshitting us and it's not more manly to drive a Ram?

I thought the pinto brought an end to that gas tank bullshit.

Should have bought a FORD!

Of course it's manly! But if you want to get work done, you buy a Ford.

Trucks though aren't tested for rear crash safety. They are tested for 'underride'. And it was the side crashes of Chevies in the 80s that led to tanks being located between the frame rails, not outside them.

are Jeeps classified as trucks? And the article says the issue was the tank being behind the rear axle, nothing about being between the frame rails.

"Chevy" trucks, not "Pintos". Do try to keep up?



And Yes, Jeeps qualify as Class 1 or 2 trucks, depending on the jurisdiction and model.

The issue is with Jeeps having the tank behind the rear axle, not sure what that has to do with Chevy trucks.

"Behind the rear axle" is also "outside the frame rails", on a Jeep. Trucks aren't held to the same crash standards as cars. The Pinto problem is similar, but the 80's Chevy truck recall is more relevant.

You're saying the frame rails stop right at the rear axle? All the pics I see show the rails extending right to the bumper, which is mounted to the rails

I'm saying there isn't enough space between the POS stamped steel bumper and the axle to allow any sort of rear crash protection for the fuel tank.

That's why most pickups have the fuel tank centralized, between the axles and frame rails.

Exactly - move the tank forward of the rear axle, nothing to do with moving it between the frame rails, it already is. And I still don't know why a pickup is the relevant example for a Jeep. The issue for Jeep is a rear collision. Pickups had the tank outside the frame rails behind the cab. Totally different situation.

Don't get me started on Dodge trucks.... I have an 05 ram that has a known problem (since October 2014) of a pinion nut loosening causing possible drive shaft separation. There was a recall situation but since they didn't yet have a fix for it they failed to notify owners, me included. Low and behold guess what happened to me in June whilst driving on the highway (Skyway bridge for those in Ontario). Yep, nut separated, pinion got sucked into differential and free sinning drive shaft destroyed my transfer case. About $8000 damage which Fiat Chrysler did cover.. Unfortunately it took the five weeks to assembly all the parts another week to rest the computer so that I had 4wd back and no loaner vehicle because truck was too old and didn't qualify. This from both Customer service and the dealer I took it to. I found out about the recall via internet search after this happened. there was also another recall for an explosive airbag that again they didn't yet have the fix for. To add insult to injury I received a recall notice for my truck two weeks after I got it back. Next truck will be Ram... No sorry, I meant Ford!

Hell my jeep ('53 Willys M38A1) didn't have the gas tank behind the rear axle, it was safely tucked underneath the drivers seat. Mind you it had no rollbar, seatbelts and had a fold down windshield and a chain smoker at the wheel, so maybe safety wasn't a primary concern.

Damn dude!

I don't think I'd ever buy a Ford car again but I'll stick with their trucks until the end. For all their flash-and-dash I have no interest at all in ever putting money into a Dodge. Can't afford their muscle cars anyway. That every Dodge truck driver that loves their truck is equally matched by another buyer that absolutely hates their truck is enough evidence for me to avoid them altogether.