Jeep’s popular family SUV is being recalled, per NHTSA
According to new documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency within the Department of Transportation responsible for automotive safety, Stellantis, the parent company behind storied American brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram, is issuing a recall affecting one of its most popular cars.
The multinational automaker is recalling 121,398 units of the 2023 to 2024 model year Jeep Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L models due to a defect in the second-row headrests, otherwise known as head restraints. Specifically, the issue involves the internal locking mechanism, which may not properly lock the headrest in the upright position.
2024 Jeep® Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve
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Per Stellantis and the NHTSA, this condition puts the car in violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 202a S4.2.1, which requires “the top of a head restraint located in an outboard designated seating position” to have “a height not less than 750 mm in any position of adjustment.”
When the head restraints in the affected vehicles are not able to lock upright, the top measures less than 750 mm in height. If the head restraint fails to lock in place, it may remain folded forward, which can potentially increase the risk of injury to rear-seat occupants in specific crash scenarios.
In total, the recall affects 121,398 units of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee L across the 2023 and 2024 model year, which contained a Second Row Headrest component made by Grammer Industries, Inc. of Plymouth Township, Michigan. Broken down, the recall affects 78,157 units of the 2023–2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee that left the factory between May 16, 2023, and May 2, 2024, as well as 43,241 units of the 2023–2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L made between May 16, 2023, and January 30, 2024.
Stellantis has known about the issue since August 2024, according to NHTSA documents
According to NHTSA documents associated with the recall, Stellantis has been aware of the issue since August 2024, when FCA US’s Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (TSRC) team opened an investigation into a potential issue revolving around the second-row head restraints that may not lock upright on certain 2023 and 2024 model year Jeep Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L vehicles.
From August 2024 through May 2025, the team worked with engineering and manufacturing teams at FCA US to review the issue, understand the failure mode, analyze customer records, and determine the suspect population. On June 11, the TSRC identified the defect that triggered the recall, and on July 10, FCA US’s Vehicle Regulations Committee confirmed that the defect interferes with FMVSS No. 202a.
Dealers will be tasked with inspecting affected vehicles and replacing both second-row seat head restraints if they present these issues, at no additional charge. Dealers will be notified about this recall on July 24, and owner notification letters are expected to be mailed by September 5, 2025.
Final thoughts
This action is yet another in a series of quality hiccups for Stellantis this year. Previously, Stellantis-branded vehicles were involved in recalls, including one affecting 250,651 vehicles for side airbag seal issues, another involving 235,640 Ram ProMaster vans over rear camera malfunctions, and 10,396 Ram 1500 pickups for tire pressure monitor errors.
In addition, the NHTSA also opened a probe into 1.2 million Ram Trucks due to a defect that a previous recall may not have remedied. Although these actions show that the NHTSA and Stellantis are taking effective action, this and the prior recalls are a speed bump in Stellantis’s road to recovery, especially as it tries to stabilize itself following rockier times.