New Jeep Wranglers Being Recalled Over Weak Frame Welds

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is set to issue a recall and stop-sale on select 2018 and 2019 Wranglers due to a potentially faulty frame weld.

In communication with Wrangler owners, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles says it has discovered that a weld meant to hold the track bar bracket to the frame could fail. This could result in the bracket separating from the frame and could cause a crash.

The car manufacturer reports that the recall includes approximately 18,000 vehicles and that it believes 4 per cent (approximately 720 vehicles) have the issue.

Members of the JL Wrangler Forums have been discussing and sharing images of the poor weld for a number of months now. Some new Wrangler owners have shared images that show horribly-executed welds where huge amounts of silica have risen to the surface of the weld, indicating that the steel area was not adequately cleaned before being welded.

What’s more, Jalopnik reports that a number of owners have had certain welds on their frames fail entirely, most commonly at the track bar mount.

One member of the JL Wrangler Forums says he was driving on the highway when he suddenly lost all control in the steering wheel. He was able to safely pull over on the shoulder of the road and had his Wrangler towed. Upon inspection, mechanics at his local Jeep dealership discovered that the track bar had been completely detached because of the poor welds. The vehicle had just 700 miles under its belt and hadn’t even been driven off-road.

FCA has yet to say how it will remedy the issue.