Jeep Issues Recall for Grand Cherokee Headrest Problem
With that kind of footprint, even a small defect can affect a large number of owners – and that's exactly what's happening now, as more than 121,000 units have been included in a new voluntary safety recall.
The issue affects both the 2023–2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee and its longer Grand Cherokee L counterpart. According to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a defect in the second-row head restraints may prevent them from locking into their upright position.
The failure stems from an internal locking mechanism that can get stuck when the backrests are folded down, leaving the headrest folded forward. If the headrest does not lock upright, it falls short of the minimum 29.5 inches height required under federal safety regulations.
The voluntary safety recall affects 78,157 units of the two-row Grand Cherokee, manufactured between May 16, 2023, and May 2, 2024. Meanwhile, 43,241 units of the Grand Cherokee L, built from May 16, 2023, through January 30, 2024, complete the list of affected units.
Obviously, those manufactured outside this period are unaffected. The automaker traced the issue to specific production batches and identified the defective parts as sourced from Grammer Industries Inc.
Stellantis, through FCA US, its North American arm, will address the problem by inspecting the second-row headrests on all affected vehicles and replacing them if necessary. The replacement parts are not subject to the same defective conditions and meet all regulatory requirements.
The automaker should have already contacted dealers as of this writing, and is scheduled to notify owners in a phased rollout beginning September 5, 2025. No warnings or alerts are present in affected vehicles, so owners will need to rely on the recall notifications or VIN search tools to determine if their SUV is included. FCA US will also reimburse owners under its standard reimbursement plan where applicable.
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Stellantis partners with 4screen for location-based in-car services
Stellantis has announced a collaboration with driver interaction platform 4screen to incorporate real-time, location-based digital services into its portfolio of vehicle brands. This alliance aims to offer Stellantis customers an intuitive in-car experience across the key North American and European markets. Switch Auto Insurance and Save Today! The Insurance Savings You Expect Great Rates and Award-Winning Service Affordable Auto Insurance, Customized for You The 4screen platform will be integrated into certain FIAT, Jeep, and Ram models equipped with Uconnect 4 or Uconnect 5 systems. This service enables drivers to access nearby services, offers, and points of interest directly from the vehicle's infotainment system, with additional Stellantis brands set to join as the deployment expands. It caters to various needs, including locating restaurants, convenience stores, fuel or charging stations, parking spots, car washes, or dealerships affiliated with Stellantis brands. Drivers can customise their preferences to filter points of interest based on location and context, ensuring that the information provided is relevant to their specific trip. The platform provides personalised search results based on the driver's current location and preferences, including details such as business hours, contact information, and amenities. Additionally, the platform offers immediate access to in-car special offers and discounts. The 4screen service is integrated into the vehicle's infotainment interface, presenting content contextually and responsibly. Stellantis software business unit senior vice president Cristiani Campos said: 'We are focused on delivering connected technology that brings meaningful value to our customers. 'Partnering with 4screen helps us give drivers relevant, helpful content on their terms, when and where they need it.' Earlier this month, Stellantis Pro One, Stellantis' commercial vehicles division, announced the start of production for the Cargo Box battery electric vehicle (BEV) at the Atessa plant in Italy. "Stellantis partners with 4screen for location-based in-car services" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Blind spots in popular vehicles have grown in recent years: IIHS
This story was originally published on Automotive Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Automotive Dive newsletter. The forward blind spots of six popular vehicles grew in size during the same period that U.S. pedestrian and cyclist deaths rose, according to new research using a measurement technique developed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Switch Auto Insurance and Save Today! Affordable Auto Insurance, Customized for You The Insurance Savings You Expect Great Rates and Award-Winning Service A new study by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Volpe Center found that between 1997 and 2023, forward visibility for three popular SUVs (Chevrolet Suburban, Honda CR-V and Jeep Grand Cherokee) declined as much as 58%, while the forward visibility of a Ford F-150 passenger truck fell 17%. The forward visibility of two popular cars (Honda Accord and Toyota Camry) also fell by about 8%. During the same 25-year period studied, the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed on U.S. roads increased by 37% and 42%, respectively. 'The across-the-board decrease in visibility for this small group of models is concerning.' IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement. 'We need to investigate whether this is a broader trend that may have contributed to the recent spike in pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities,' he said. Refining research parameters The Volpe Center's research was made possible by a new technique IIHS developed to measure vehicle blind spots. Previously, IIHS said that researchers needed engineering drawings from automakers, or else position vehicles around grid lines and vehicle cones they had to arrange themselves. As such, researchers faced obstacles pursuing extensive studies on vehicle visibility. IIHS's new technique uses computational software and a 360-degree rotating camera that can be positioned at various heights in a vehicle's driver seat, to represent the sizes of different drivers. According to a different IIHS study, the blind spot maps produced with this new technique are 'nearly identical' to the traditional methods researchers once had to use. This means the technique 'promises to facilitate a raft of new research into driver visibility,' IIHS said. The Volpe Center study on blind spots required creating blind spot maps of 17 different vehicles representing different model years of six vehicles, to study and compare changes in their vehicle design over time. Visibility diminishes with taller vehicle fronts The most dramatic decline in visibility came from the SUVs studied. For example, researchers found that the 1997 Honda CR-V allows drivers to see 68% of the area 10 meters in front of the vehicle, while drivers of the 2022 model year can only see 28% of the same area. Compared to the 1997 model, the 2022 Honda CR-V has a higher hood and larger side mirrors, which limits their visibility, IIHS said. Meanwhile, visibility for drivers of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry declined within the margin of error, and visibility for the Ford F-150 passenger truck was already low. Drivers in a 1997 Ford F-150 can see 43% of the area 10 meters in front of them, but that visibility only dropped to 36% for the 2015 model. According to previous IIHS research, higher and more blunt vehicle fronts contribute to greater fatality risk. 'If further research confirms that [declining visibility] changes reflect a general change, that would suggest that declining visibility in SUVs has compounded the effects of taller, blunt-nosed vehicles that IIHS has already documented,' said Becky Mueller, co-author of the Volpe Center study and IIHS senior research engineer who led the development of the new measurement technique. Recommended Reading Enforcement, education could reduce traffic deaths from distracted driving: report Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
5 hours ago
Volkswagen suffers $1.5 billion loss from Trump's tariffs
President Donald Trump's tariffs cost German auto giant Volkswagen about $1.5 billion over the first half of 2025, the company said on Friday. Sales in North America plunged 16% due primarily to U.S. tariffs, said Volkswagen, which owns a host of brands including Audi, Lamborghini and Porsche. The company warned of further 'challenges' that will arise from 'an environment of political uncertainty, expanding trade restrictions and geopolitical tensions,' among other factors. Volkswagen marks the latest in a string of major carmakers to announce billions in tariff-related losses. General Motors on Tuesday said tariffs on cars and auto parts drove $1.1 billion in losses over three months ending in June. A day earlier, Jeep maker Stellantis said it expects to have suffered $2.7 billion in losses over the first half of 2025 due in part to U.S. tariffs. Electric-vehicle maker Tesla this week reported a roughly $3 billion drop in revenue over three months ending in June when compared to the same period a year earlier. In a statement on Wednesday, Tesla touted a "strong balance sheet" but acknowledged a "sustained uncertain macroeconomic environment resulting from shifting tariffs." Tariffs of 25% on vehicles imported into the United States went into effect on April 2. The auto tariffs, which apply to cars and auto parts, threaten to raise costs for carmakers that often oversee an intricate supply chain snaked between the U.S., Mexico, Canada and beyond. In a memo in March, the White House touted auto tariffs as a means of bolstering domestic car manufacturers and protecting an industry viewed as important to U.S. national security. The policy, the White House said, will "protect and strengthen the U.S. automotive sector." Volkswagen currently faces total US tariffs of 27.5%, the company said, combining the recent 25% auto tariff on top of preexisting 2.5% tariffs. The company said it expects a worst-case scenario of current tariff levels over the second half of 2025, while in a best-case scenario tariffs could be reduced to 10%. 'There is high uncertainty about further developments with regard to the tariffs, their impact and any reciprocal effects,' Volkswagen said. A trade agreement struck between the U.S. and Japan this week dropped auto tariffs from the universal level of 25% to 15%, putting foreign carmakers in other countries at a disadvantage. The U.S. and European Union are near a deal that would also bring tariffs on European goods down to 15%, the Financial Times reported this week. Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on the EU to 30% on Aug. 1, unless the two sides reach a trade agreement. Despite rising tariff-related costs for automakers, price hikes for new cars have remained low. Car prices rose 0.6% in June compared to a year earlier, registering well below the overall inflation rate of 2.7%. In general, tariff-induced inflation has fallen short of economists' fears in part because companies stockpiled products before the tariffs took effect, allowing them to temporarily avert the higher cost of importing goods, analysts previously told ABC News.
