Jeep Recalls 200,000 Hybrid SUVs for Windshield Defroster Issue

Jeep introduced a safety recall, which applies to nearly 200.000 units of hybrid plug-in SUVs – Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe – built between 2021 and 2024 models. The recalled vehicles represent a software problem that deactivates the windshield defroster.

The assigned recall by the Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists the next SUVs:

• 139.318 - Wrangler 4xe units assembled between September 2, 2020, and August 24, 2023. 
• 59.825 - Grand Cherokee 4xe units assembled between July 23, 2021, and December 5, 2023. 

Out of a total number of 199.143 vehicles, Jeep suspects that the problem is present in 100% of the recalled cars. 

While the problem pertains to the windshield defroster, the company declared to NHTSA that the source of the problem is the hybrid control processor - which has been incorrectly programmed at the factory. 

As a result, the software can deactivate the windshield defroster. 

Driving with a foggy windshield increases the risk of accidents, but the solution seems relatively simple. Jeep will ask the owners of defective cars to pass by an authorized dealership so a technician can update their hybrid control processor software. 

The company already started to notify dealerships in February 2024 and will contact owners via email with affected Wrangler and Grand Cherokee in April 2024. Drivers who have already paid to get the issue fixed can request a refund by sending Jeep a receipt or another payment proof. 

Jeep stated that its Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance arm started to dig deeper into the problem on June 21, 2023. They launched an investigation that lasted a few months before identifying the problem in January 2024 - and the recall was issued less than a month later. 

The company noted that the SUVs assembled after the dates listed earlier were built with an actualized software system and weren’t included in the recall.