Several days ago there was already talk of a problem affecting the same models of the Jeep brand, namely the Gladiator and Wrangler. In that situation, the defect found was that of a possible fire hazard with the engine off. Now, a new recall has again involved a rather large number of the same models of the American manufacturer. In fact, the company has made it official that it will have to recall nearly 33,000 Jeep Wrangler models and Jeep Gladiator. The problem found on this occasion appears to be a potential malfunction in the IPC, an issue that would violate Federal Standard FMVSS No. 101.
A defect in the instrument cluster puts safety at risk
At the epicenter of the problem that has been highlighted in Jeep models, lies the instrument panel cluster (IPC) to be precise. This, it is claimed, is a component that provides the driver with crucial information about the car while driving. Now, due to a short circuit occurring right inside the IPC, it could suddenly switch off, rendering the display completely black and lacking the necessary information.
This anomaly presents a very high risk to the safety of the driver and the road in general. In fact, such a problem would violate Federal Standard FMVSS No. 101, which was created specifically to regulate vehicle controls and displays. An instrument panel that suddenly goes off would most likely distract the driver, severely jeopardizing his or her reflex ability to react in a timely manner to any emergency situation that may occur on the road, greatly increasing the risk of an accident.
This recall is for around 32,863 Jeep Wrangler models (specifically, these would be the JL cars from 2018 to 2024) and Jeep Gladiator (JT models from 2020 to 2024).
Causes and solutions
These types of problems were detected in October of the year 2022. At that time, the Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance organization of Stellantis started receiving the first reports of completely empty IPCs on some of the Jeep brand models. Right from that moment, the company began a very deep investigation. The first steps that were taken were precisely to analyze the data in close cooperation with the suppliers of this component, to try to identify the causes of this malfunction.
After many months of many analyses, Stellantis was finally able to confirm the existence of a manufacturing defect, which can cause precisely the problem we are talking about. Precisely as a result of these in-depth analyses, the decision was made to initiate a recall of all affected cars, to ensure maximum safety for drivers who own one of these vehicles.
The next step for this situation will begin on 3 October 2024, when notification letters will be sent to the owners of the cars. While they wait, anyone affected by the problem can still contact Stellantis customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-888-327-4236. Obviously, this component repair will be completely free of charge, and will consist of the complete replacement of the instrument panel.
This most recent recall by the Stellantis automotive group highlights how important it is to constantly monitor the quality of safety that consumers have inside the vehicle they purchase. Although this is not an occurrence that stems directly from the company, Stellantis has put a lot of effort into resolving the problem as quickly and transparently as possible, putting customer safety first.