Jeep, the American automobile marque owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis, has issued a massive recall for nearly 200,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to fix defective defrost system. According to the recently issued recall, the list of affected hybrid vehicles includes certain Wrangler 4xes and Grand Cherokee 4xes. The culprit is a software glitch that could disable the vehicles’ windshield defrost system, posing a safety threat.

The recall notice issued by Jeep and published by the U.S. government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that a huge number of Wranglers produced between 2021 and 2024 and Grand Cherokees produced between 2022 and 2024 were equipped with inappropriately programmed hybrid control processor software. The recall impacts a total of 139,318 units of the Wrangler 4xe and 59,825 units of the Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. To be more specific, the aforementioned affected Wranglers produced by the brand from September 2, 2020 to August 24, 2023, and the Grand Cherokees manufactured from July 23, 2021 to December 5, 2023. All these vehicles are part of a comprehensive recall initiative.

The remedy for this issue involves updating the hybrid control processor, a fix that has already been applied in the production of new models. Consequently, customers awaiting delivery of their new Jeep EVs need not worry about encountering this specific problem.

The Jeep Wrangler 4xe faces yet another test, marking its second recall in a span of just four months. In the month of November, the automaker issued a warning to owners, advising them against charging their EV’s battery due to a potential risk of fire, impacting a nearly 32,000 vehicles.

Stellantis, which owns the Jeep brand, also revealed that the issue with the defrost system first came to light in the month of June last year. The subsequent probe into the faulty defrost system persisted through January, ultimately prompting the company to issue the recent recall. EV owners affected by this latest impediment will receive notifications by April 5.

While recalls aren’t uncommon in the dynamic global automotive industry, such actions underscore the commitment of manufacturers to prioritize customer safety. Jeep's proactive approach in detecting and rectifying such issues emphasizes the brand's dedication to delivering not only thrilling off-road driving experiences but also a secure & reliable driving environment for its customers.