Over 330,000 Jeep SUVs Recalled For A Major Suspension Design Flaw

Jun 30, 2023

2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokees are facing a catastrophic suspension flaw, resulting in Jeep recalling nearly 330,000 Cherokee SUVs.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has an iconic heritage in the world of SUVs. It’s no doubt a beloved vehicle among SUV enthusiasts. The Grand Cherokee has made its way to 2023 with some neat features, impressive performance, along with a touch of luxury and practicality. But recent trends have raised concerns among many Cherokee owners.

Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler Jeep, has issued the recall of nearly 330,000 Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L vehicles. This raises lots of concerns, but it’s quintessential to delve into the nitty-gritty and see how Jeep is going about this situation. So, why is Stellantis issuing the recall of so many Grand Cherokee SUVs, and how does this ensure the safety of so many passionate Jeep owners?

Not long ago, Jeep unveiled its all-new 2023 Grand Cherokee. The seven-seater L SUV featured an off-road and a hybrid variant, dubbed the Trailhawk and the Grand Cherokee 4xe. These new trims added a breath of fresh air to the Cherokee lineup.

While the all-new Grand Cherokee lineup offers a plethora of safety features like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring, a major design flaw uprooted Jeep’s safety implementations. Sure, you’ve got automated emergency braking, and pedestrian and cyclist detection, but what if you lost control of your beloved Cherokee? A faulty coil spring slipped past Jeep’s safety testing protocols. And it’s not a few Grand Cherokees we’re talking about. Jeep has recalled 331,401 2022-2023 Cherokees. The issue also extends to older models, dating back to 2021–specifically the 2021-2023 Grand Cherokee L SUVs.

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), 217,099 Grand Cherokee L and 114,302 Grand Cherokee SUVs have been recalled over a faulty rear coil spring. Apparently, these models feature a ‘’potentially out-of-position rear coil spring’’ that occurred during manufacturing in May 2023. Rear coil springs are part and parcel of a vehicle’s suspension system.

They work to absorb any extra impact generated from bumps on the road. Furthermore, they support the whole vehicle’s weight onto the axles.

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According to Consumer Reports, the coil spring could detach spontaneously while driving, resulting in loss of control, and hence an increased risk of accidents. Jeep addressed the NHTSA and stated that the rear coil springs aren’t inherently defective, but have been placed incorrectly between December 2020 and May 2023.

Thankfully, there have been no reports of injuries or accidents related to the malfunctioning rear coil spring. The recall report further details that only 13 percent of the 331,401 Cherokees are likely to have the out-of-place coil spring issue. Any vehicles built after May 31, including air suspension models like the Summit Reserve 4xe, are in the clear. The whole fiasco ensued when a car owner reported that their 2023 Grand Cherokee’s coil spring fell off while driving. And following the report, Jeep began an investigation on March 3. But that was just one of many reports. Chrysler raked in two customer assistance records and 17 warranty claims in regard to the failing part.

Following this debacle, Chrysler states it plans to mail Grand Cherokee owners and delve into the process of repairs and recalls by July 28. Furthermore, the company went so far as to state that it would pay out of its own pocket for any rear coil spring repairs, so long as the customer produces a receipt of the service. Therefore, customers have been urged to make their way to dealerships where mechanics can carefully inspect their Cherokees and repair the springs for free. While Stellantis will send out further details to Cherokee owners by late July, Jeep owners can see if their vehicle is affected or not by checking out the NHTSA recalls website.

But this isn’t the first time Jeep has made recalls of its beloved Cherokee. Similar to Ford's longstanding quality control issues, Jeep has been navigating heavy waters. Unfortunately, Jeep issued a recall on a separate malfunction earlier in May 2023. According to Consumer Reports, the company recalled nearly 90,000 Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L variants from 2021-2023. In this particular scenario, the most pivotal driving control– the steering wheel, was compromised at Jeep’s assembly plant.

On this separate occasion, the company recalled 89,372 SUVs over the steering column issue. Jeep launched a formal inquiry on February 27, 2023, over reports of potential “loss of steering condition”. 15 warranty claims were filed over the steering issue, but no customer records or field reports were filed for this particular scenario.

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In a deep-dive analysis, the company discovered the error arose due to an error during the assembly process. The intermediate shaft of the steering column which marries the steering wheel to the remaining components of the steering setup had been installed improperly on several Cherokee SUVs. The intermediate shaft could detach from the steering wheel–during which drivers could hear a noise. The steering wheel could move back and forth by an inch, without even turning the front wheels.

This could result in a sudden loss of steering control, and, you guessed it–a car crash. Jeep stated that this problem affected 53,965 Grand Cherokees built between October 19, and 2021-April 4,2023 and 35,401 Jeep Grand Cherokee L SUVs manufactured between January 27,2021-April 4,2023. This has led to serious doubts about Jeep's reputation as a leader in safety features.

According to iSeeCars' study on the NHTSA’s vehicle recall data, the potential for a recall shifts dramatically between vehicle models. On one end of the spectrum, the least-recalled cars (based on average lifetime projected recalls across all makes and models) consist of the MINI Convertible, the Lexus NX 300h, and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. While on the other end of the spectrum, the Tesla Model Y is expected to see 62.4 recalls in a span of 30 years, followed by the Porsche Panamera. In comparison, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee L are expected to see 10.4 recalls in a life span of 30 years.

Evidently, Jeep isn’t the only company that’s performed grand-scale recalls. Recalls are somewhat commonplace in today’s automotive market–something companies do to make wrongs right. Still, no one wants to receive a recall notice. But that's not to say some Jeep Cherokee models aren't reliable. Just to put things into further perspective, over 400 automotive recalls were issued back in 2022, which affected more than 25 million vehicles. But things were much worse back in 2021. Nearly 1000 recalls were issued which affected over 35 million vehicles.

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Despite the information and recall statistics cited by iSeeCars' study, we hope customers don't have to endure further recalls. Let's hope that Jeep goes the extra mile during post-recall evaluations to ensure that future Grand Cherokees don't have to deal with similar problems.

Naseer's been in head-deep in the motorsport and JDM scene. He loves to breathe new life into beaters and is crazy about all things' aftermarket. And when he's not burning rubber, you can catch him playing Forza on PC.