Jeep Wrangler Recall Issued Due to Risk Airbags May Not Inflate During Accident

Nearly 225,000 Jeep Wrangler vehicles from recent model years are being recalled due to a wiring defect, which could cause the airbags and seatbelt pretensioners to fail in the event of an accident, increasing the risk of injury for drivers or passengers.

The Jeep Wrangler recall was announced by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on October 17, after receiving notice from Chrysler that the front impact sensor wiring on certain newer models may detach or loosen during a crash and fail to send a signal to the Occupant Restraint Controller (OCR) system to deploy airbags or enable seatbelt pretensioners.

The recalled Jeep vehicles are equipped with ORC systems, which recognize occupants inside the vehicle and send immediate signals to deploy airbags and enable seatbelt pretensioners in the event of a crash.

According to the NHTSA, Chrysler learned during routine crash testing that under certain crash conditions the rotation of the headlamp may cause the sensor wiring to pull and detach from the impact sensor before a signal is sent and recorded by the ORC, ultimately rendering the airbags and seatbelt pretensioners useless.

To date, Chrysler has not been made aware of any incidents or injuries stemming from the potential wiring defect within the United States, or any of its distributing countries.

The recall affects certain model year 2016 through 2017 Jeep Wrangler vehicles manufactured by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) from June 15, 2015 to August 14, 2016. FCA announced that it anticipates 100% of the recalled vehicles contain the sensor wiring defect.

An estimated 182,308 Jeep Wrangler vehicles sold throughout the United States and an additional 41,692 distributed for sale to various other countries are impacted by the recall.

Chrysler has not yet provided a notification schedule or repair plan but anticipates on initiating contact with owners and dealers toward the end of November to inform them of the potential defect. Customers with further questions are being asked to contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 and reference the recall number “S76”. Owners are also being encouraged to report any issues related to the recall to the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.