Due to a manufacturing error that has resulted in damage or complete unavailability of the buckles, passengers in the third row of 2022-2024 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer vehicles may have difficulty fastening their seat belts. As a result, the automaker has issued a recall for 97,066 vehicles. Jeep estimates that only 1% of these will have a damaged or missing seat belt, but for safety reasons, it’s necessary to inspect vehicles produced between February 24, 2021, and September 11, 2023.
Nearly 100,000 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer vehicles are being recalled in the United States
It’s not known how the seat belt buckles were damaged during the production process of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, but Jeep first identified the issue on October 20, 2022. On that date, its technical safety and regulatory compliance team was informed of an issue regarding the third-row seat belt buckles that were “scratched” or otherwise damaged in some vehicles.
The team checked production records and found that the problem was unrelated to the component’s manufacturing. Instead, the seat belt buckle was damaged at the Auburn Hills, Michigan plant during the vehicle assembly. Naturally, regulatory authorities had concerns about the malfunction of Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer seat belts, as they are a critical part of a vehicle’s occupant safety system. Without seat belts, passengers are much more likely to sustain injuries in the event of an accident and may even harm others in the vehicle.
The good news for Jeep is that since it’s not a component issue, the solution is simply to replace the third-row seat belt buckle. To determine which vehicles require this replacement, customers will begin to be contacted on December 15. They will be asked to bring their Wagoneer or Grand Wagoneer to a nearby dealership, where the part will be inspected. The correction will be made at no cost to the owner.