Jeep exploded ...

Well that’s horrible….there’s a couple recalls out there but not one for an electrical issue I’m aware of. How you know it shorted out?
If it exploded (like on TV) it was probably a gas leak, and there’s a recall for a gas leak tank puncture potential.

I'm only hearing from neighbors - nothing official, so it could be gas leak. I just wanted anyone with a Jeep to find the recall or call the dealer. They were not in it, but could have been. And the house is GONE, GONE! The residents are heading to Chicago to stay with kids until they sort it out.

Wonder if HOI insurance or Auto insurance covers something like this ... probably both claim the other pays - and then meet in the middle.

I'm so sorry for your neighbors! I'm glad no one was hurt and only the one house burned.

Thanks for the warning.

monkey44 wrote:
I'm only hearing from neighbors - nothing official, so it could be gas leak. I just wanted anyone with a Jeep to find the recall or call the dealer. They were not in it, but could have been. And the house is GONE, GONE! The residents are heading to Chicago to stay with kids until they sort it out.

Wonder if HOI insurance or Auto insurance covers something like this ... probably both claim the other pays - and then meet in the middle.

Homowners covered the structure and contents. Auto covered the cars when our garage burnt down due to a vehicle fire.
Auto PD would cover damage caused by the insured vehicle up to its limits though. But PD wouldn’t likely be enough to cover all that with typical PD limits. IMO

I carry as low of pd limits as possible on the car insurance. Figure the chance of me crashing into an expensive building and collapsing it or burning it down is pretty low…lol.

I know in Hollywood movies and tv shows gas tanks blow up as easily as shatterng a light bulb but in real life it takes a lot of effort to make them blow. You see liquid gasoline does not explode you need to have a fuel VAPOR/Air mix and you need to be rather precise in the ratio. Oh you can get it to burn even if the ratio is off.. but to explode.. Well if you are old enough to have played with a carborator's adjustments you know if you get it too rich or lean it runs poorly and that's just a tiny bit off.


Mythbusters tried and tried to get a Hollywood like gas tank explosion and finally did it the way Hollywood did it.. Attached explosives and a remote detonator.

But if the tank leaks and it runs out on the garage floor.. Well gasoline will vaporise at common temps (even at darn cold temps) and then all you need is a spark.. Say a switch closign or opening or a furnace in the garage kicking in (or water heater) and KABOOM.

wa8yxm wrote:
I know in Hollywood movies and tv shows gas tanks blow up as easily as shatterng a light bulb but in real life it takes a lot of effort to make them blow. You see liquid gasoline does not explode you need to have a fuel VAPOR/Air mix and you need to be rather precise in the ratio. Oh you can get it to burn even if the ratio is off.. but to explode.. Well if you are old enough to have played with a carborator's adjustments you know if you get it too rich or lean it runs poorly and that's just a tiny bit off.


Mythbusters tried and tried to get a Hollywood like gas tank explosion and finally did it the way Hollywood did it.. Attached explosives and a remote detonator.

But if the tank leaks and it runs out on the garage floor.. Well gasoline will vaporize at common temps (even at darn cold temps) and then all you need is a spark.. Say a switch closing or opening or a furnace in the garage kicking in (or water heater) and KABOOM.

Today, someone said a gas leak sparked the evaporated gas - and that's all it took. I gotta think, if the fuel was leaking just a little, it would take fumes a few hours to become ignitable - so, that's why 3AM and not mid-afternoon probably. We do have natural gas water heaters in the garages, so they will spark to light the heater.

This recall also came out https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-recalls-defects/jeep-wrangler-suv-recalled-for-fire-risk-a7190806698/

Not likely if the vehicle has not been in an accident but if there's been a puncture and fumes escaped with an ignition source such as the water heaters it COULD happen. We no longer own our 2021 Wrangler but got the recall. Got tired of the "death wobble" and squeaky cap that Jeep refused to deal with. If there's been an investigation by the fire dept to find a root cause I'd highly recommend he get copies. Although insurance has covered the damages it might be interesting to know if Jeep has any culpability at all.

If I find our anything about cause, who's liable, what insurance does, etc. I'll come back and let anyone know. The residents left today to move in with their kids until it gets resolved. My wife is Director on HOA BOD, so whatever we find out, I should know as well. She is looking into it now, only a couple days, so not much info but rumors at this time.

Rumor has it, Jeep seems to be willing to accept some responsibility - how much, we don't know. Certainly, the Jeep itself. But the house damage is a Q?????

If the gas leak itself was the cause of the explosion and not faulty wiring, etc with the house, then I would expect Jeep to be responsible for all the damage. I expect the homeowner's insurance will pay for the damage and then seek to force Jeep to reimburse them.

monkey44 wrote:


Today, someone said a gas leak sparked the evaporated gas - and that's all it took. I gotta think, if the fuel was leaking just a little, it would take fumes a few hours to become ignitable - so, that's why 3AM and not mid-afternoon probably. We do have natural gas water heaters in the garages, so they will spark to light the heater.

Even an electric water heater the thermostat can spark when opening or closing. So can a furnace ignightor or fan motor T-Stat many things can cause a spark Even Elgenon's brother (A Mouse) nibbling on a wire