Stellantis to recall more than 91,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles over possible loss of drive power
Chrysler parent company Stellantis is recalling more than 91,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee hybrids in the U.S. due to a software malfunction that may result in a loss of drive power, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Thursday.
Some Jeep Grand Cherokee Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles, model years 2022 through 2026, may have an overloading of the battery pack control module microprocessor, causing it to reset. When this happens, the hybrid control processor can misinterpret signals from the battery pack control module — potentially resulting in a loss of drive power, the NHTSA noted.
"An unexpected loss of propulsion can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning," the NHTSA noted.
Of the 91,787 possibly affected vehicles, only 1%, or around 918 of them, are believed to have the defect, according to the NHTSA website.
A 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid sports utility vehicle (SUV) navigates an obstacle course at the 2024 New York International Auto Show on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Similar vehicles that are not part of this recall either do not have a hybrid control processor or were built after the affected timeframe, according to the NHTSA.
Jeep auto showroom, building exterior with company brand name in Manhattan, New York City. (Plexi Images/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
As of Aug. 18, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles had received 96 customer complaints, 110 field reports and 320 other service records linked to the issue. As of the same date, the company is not aware of any crashes or injuries linked to the problem, the NHTSA noted.
On Sept. 11, dealers will be notified, and vehicle identification numbers (VINs) that are affected by the recall will be searchable on the NHTSA website. Owner notification letters will be mailed on Oct. 23, according to the NHTSA.
The Jeep logo is seen on the wheel of a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the showroom at the Massey-Yardley Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram automobile dealership in Plantation, Florida on Oct. 8, 2013. ( REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo / Reuters)
In a similar announcement earlier this year, the NHTSA said Stellantis was recalling more than 63,000 Jeep Cherokees, with model years 2017 through 2019, due to issues with the vehicles' power transfer units.
In November, Stellantis announced it was indefinitely laying off more than 1,000 employees at its Jeep assembly plant in Ohio as the automaker significantly reduced its inventory levels to match demand.
Stellantis did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment.