Stellantis (formerly FCA US, LLC) has issued a recall for certain models of Jeep Wrangler (JL) and Jeep Gladiator (JT) vehicles manufactured between 2018 and 2023, which are equipped with manual transmissions.
The recall has been initiated due to a potential risk of fire caused by overheating of the clutch pressure plate, which may fracture and result in cracks or holes in the transmission case. This can cause heated debris to be expelled from the transmission case and potentially come in contact with an ignition source, leading to a fire.
A total of 69,201 vehicles are affected by the recall, with 55,082 Jeep Wrangler units and 14,119 Jeep Gladiator units included.
Recall Chronology –
- In December 2022 & January 2023, Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (“TSRC”) investigators analyzed fire patterns, witness statements, and vehicle histories to confirm the events were related to pressure plate failures.
- On January 10th, 2023, the FCA US TSRC organization opened an investigation into 2018 to 2023 MY Jeep Wrangler and 2020 to 2023 MY Gladiator vehicles as a result of a detection of a potential trend of vehicle fires related to failed clutch assemblies in vehicles built after the Recall 21V-028 (FCA US No. Y01/Y03/Y07) clean point.
- On January 23th, 2023, FCA US received inspection details of a 2023 MY Jeep Wrangler vehicle built after the Recall 21V-028 (FCA US No. Y01/Y03/Y07) clean point that experienced a complete clutch failure.
- As of February 9th, 2023, FCA US identified 26 customer assistance records, 36 warranty claims, and six field reports potentially related to this issue for all markets with dates of receipt ranging from July 5th, 2021 to January 12th, 2023.
- As of February 9th, 2023, FCA US is aware of zero accidents and one injury potentially related to this issue for all markets.
- On February 16th, 2023, FCA US determined, through the Vehicle Regulations Committee, to conduct a voluntary safety recall of the affected vehicles.
The remedy is currently under development. The owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 14th, 2023, and owners can contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. This recall expands and replaces the previous recall 21V-028, and vehicles that were previously repaired under recall 21V-028 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.nhtsa.gov. So far, there have been no accidents reported, but one injury is potentially related to this issue for all markets.
