Easily the most popular Jeep in the United States of America in terms of deliveries, the Grand Cherokee isn't without its faults. The first model year of the fifth generation, for example, is listed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a whopping 11 safety recalls to its name.
The latest concerns potential steering knuckle separation due to potentially damaged upper control arm pinch bolts, an issue that affects 338,238 vehicles produced for model years 2021 through 2023. That's not all, though, because Jeep's mid-sized utility vehicle has been hit with a separate recall affecting certain 2023 – 2024 models.
Precisely 9,433 examples of the Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L feature incorrectly configured high beam parameters, therefore failing to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108. More specifically, the driver may be unable to quickly activate the high beams if the master headlight switch is set to automatic.
This function is governed by the body controller module, a control unit that costs a little over $300 at press time. It's listed under three part numbers (68569332AE, 68608712AD, 68608712AE) in the document attached below, which also lists Continental Teves AG & Co. as the supplier.
FCA US LLC was notified of the concern back on December 20 last year. The subsequent analysis determined that certain vehicles had been produced with suspect vehicle configuration parameters. Obviously enough, an update will fix this problem. Dealers will be notified on or about April 12.
Photo: Stellantis
Owner notifications are due on or about April 12 as well, and the update – obviously enough – won't cost them a thing. Determining whether your Grand Cherokee is affected or not does not cost a cent either. Open the NHTSA's recall website in your preferred browser, type the 17-character vehicle identification number, and that's about it. Of the 9,433-strong total, Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L populations number 7,467 and 1,966 vehicles, respectively.
Both the two- and three-row versions moved 244,594 units in the United States last year, an improvement of 10 percent over 2022. By comparison, the Wrangler sold 156,581 units. The best-selling production model from Chrysler, however, is the Ram P/U truck line. Ranging from the 1500 Classic to the 5500 Chassis Cab, the P/U ended 2023 with 444,926 deliveries in the US.
The Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L were last updated in August 2023 for model year 2024. As ever, prospective customers are presented with either a free-breathing V6 or a turbocharged I4. The latter cannot be had standalone, but in the form of a plug-in hybrid that Jeep advertises as the 4xe.
Although it sounds rather bland as opposed to the sadly missed 5.7-liter HEMI V8, the four-pot 4xe is more powerful and torquier as well. Think 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet (637 Nm) instead of the V8's 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet (529 Nm). All-wheel drive by default, the 4xe offers 26 miles (42 kilometers) of electric driving range.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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