- Jeep is recalling Wranglers and Gladiators that can stall due to faulty software.
- The vehicles were previously involved in another recall and the fix seems to have made the situation worse.
- Jeep is aware of 35 field reports related to the issue, but no crashes or injuries.
The Wrangler and Gladiator are two of Jeep’s most iconic models, but they’re being recalled over the possibility of losing drive power. The recall impacts a mere 94 units from the 2021 model year, but all of them are believed to be affected by the issue.
As the safety recall report explains, 69,201 Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators with manual transmissions were initially recalled in 2023 because their clutch intermediate pressure plate could overheat and eventually fracture.
More: Ford Has Recalled More Cars In 2024 Than GM, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, VW And BMW Combined
At the time, the government said the sudden destruction of the plate “may result in cracks or holes in the transmission case, allowing heated debris to be expelled from the transmission case,” and potentially start a fire. As part of the fix for this issue, it sounds like the vehicles received updated Powertrain Control Module software.
Regardless, the new recall says the Wrangler and Gladiator could experience an “improper function” with the software’s rpm reduction feature. If this occurs, it could cause the engine to stall and result in a loss of drive power. This increases the risk of a crash and drivers wouldn’t have any advance warning.
The “suspect software” was released on June 19 and almost immediately after, on June 24, there were reports of vehicles stalling. This pushed Jeep to suspend the software on June 26 and open an investigation. The company is aware of 35 field reports potentially related to the issue, but thankfully there weren’t any accidents or injuries.
Since this was a software problem, the fix is pretty straightforward as dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module with updated software. It promises to have an RPM reduction function that actually works.
The recall is expected to begin in the third quarter and owners will be notified in August.
