When you buy a Jeep, you want a rig that will take you anywhere. What you don’t want is for the springs to literally fall out of the suspension. Believe it or not, that’s a concern for some 80,620 Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L models, according to a recent posting by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Jeep has recalled the potentially affected models and will inspect as well as repair them at dealers as necessary.
Specifically, this recall includes 2022-2023 Grand Cherokees and 2021-2023 Grand Cherokee L SUVs. The summary of the problem is brief: “The rear coil springs may be incorrectly installed and detach from the vehicle while driving.” Sounds like something out of a movie, doesn’t it? Like if Mr. Bean drove a family car with a seven-slotted grille instead of a finicky Mini.
If this problem sounds familiar, that’s because Jeep previously recalled Grand Cherokees for a rear spring issue in 2023. The new action is partially in response to that, as some SUVs might not have been correctly repaired during the last recall period. Still, of the 80,620 vehicles involved this time around, Jeep suspects the defect to be present on just 0.5% of them.
Detaching rear springs pose some pretty obvious safety hazards, including loss of control. Bouncing suspension components can also cause road hazards for surrounding traffic. For its part, Jeep says it’s aware of 20 customer assistance records relating to the defect, along with 284 warranty claims. Fortunately, no field incidents have been reported.
Owners of affected Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L models should expect a letter in the mail someday soon, as Jeep is expected to send them by Feb. 12. The first round of postage will make drivers aware of the potential safety issue, while the next will give instructions for the final remedy sometime around March of this year. The recall number is listed as “20D,” and worried Jeep drivers can input their vehicle identification number in the NHTSA’s search tool to see if it’s included.
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