The airbags might not deploy during an accident
Dealers will have to reprogram a module in the recalled SUVs
Up to 99,255 vehicles could be affected
Jeep is launching a recall of three of its newest models due to a problem with the driver and front passenger’s airbags.
A control module installed in the Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer and the Grand Cherokee L could be running an improper software that could prevent the frontal airbags as well as the knee airbags to inflate during an accident, thus increasing the risk of injuries.
These models have all been introduced for 2021 and they share many mechanical and electronic components, presumably including the airbag system’s control modules.
The National Highway and Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) discovered the problem, perhaps during mandatory crash testing. The total number of affected units in the United States could be up to 99,255 vehicles, with an unknown number presumed to have the same issue in Canada.
The problem will be rectified by dealerships that will reprogram the module to install the correct software, an operation that should only take a few minutes.
This is not the biggest recall Jeep has issued in recent memory, since the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Wrangler were recalled in May of 2018 over a problem that could cause the cruise control to not turn off. This campaign saw 4.8 million vehicles return to the dealer to rectify this issue.
