Jeep, it is your turn now, sorry! A recall (another one, yes) that affects more than 91,000 Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrid vehicles that were manufactured between 2022 and 2026. They will have to go to the shop because they have a failure in the hybrid processor software that can make your car lose power while driving.
There have been no injuries, but the risk of an accident is evident for the NHTSA, which has already marked it as a priority problem. Stellantis (the parent company of Jeep) still does not have the solution ready, although it assures that it is working against the clock to release a free update as soon as it is available.
A software failure
The problem seems to be the hybrid processor of these models, which locks up when the vehicle is running and slows the power delivery. As you can imagine, a loss of traction increases the risk of an accident. That is why, although no serious accidents have been reported, it is normal that drivers and the industry are concerned about the issue.
And this is not the first time that something like this has happened to Stellantis, already in July they had to withdraw more than 250,000 Pacifica and Voyager minivans for a problem with the airbags. Now the doubt reappears with electronic systems that should be the strong point of hybrids… It is not being the best time for Stellantis from what we can see.
What to do if you have a Grand Cherokee PHEV
First thing is that Jeep asks users to check their vehicles, enter the VIN number on the NHTSA website or call the customer service phone 800-853-1403.
The recall has the internal code 73C, and Stellantis has committed to notify owners directly as soon as the software update is ready, and no, you will not have to pay anything for the repair of your vehicle.
Please drive with caution while there is no definitive solution.
The streak
The Grand Cherokee is not an isolated case, the recalls are piling up in Stellantis and each one adds pressure to the company.
The safety of modern cars is no longer measured only in brakes, airbags or chassis, but in lines of code. And when something breaks there, the results can be just as dangerous.
The challenge of Stellantis
Stellantis now faces the need to regain the trust of its customers who had bet on its plug-in hybrids… And even more so when there are not many users who decide to make the change, now they will have to rethink their strategies in the country (and worldwide) so that this type of stumble does not end up affecting sales.
For now, Jeep is working as fast as it can to find a solution (which, as we said, they do not have yet). But drivers continue with the uncertainty of driving cars that do not work completely well, and we do not think that is good for the brand…
The Jeep Grand Cherokee recall affects almost 100,000 cars in the United States, and once again we see how fragile hybrid systems and software can be… Do not worry because it will not cost you anything when they fix it, but we cannot say that it will not be expensive for Jeep… Many users on social media are already reporting problems with other models..
“Mine has been in the dealership for four months because of that. Next month I am going into arbitration to try to get it returned. They manufactured an unsafe car and the solution made it even more unsafe.” Said a driver…