A new issue affects more than 419,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee (WL) SUVs.
These days, most modern vehicles come equipped with a host of airbags to protect occupants should the worst happen. In this latest Jeep recall, however, there’s a concern that a wide range of current-generation Grand Cherokee SUVs could have faulty side airbags that may not deploy properly in a crash.
The issue with as many as 419,035 Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L models isn’t with the side airbag modules themselves. Instead, according to what FCA US (Stellantis’ American division) told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) modules may have defective software. Thanks to the bug, what would otherwise be temporary door airbag pressure sensor faults could remain active for the lifetime of the sensor. As such, the fault may prevent the side airbags from immediately deploying as they should in certain types of crashes. That presents a clear safety issue, and also puts the affected vehicles out of compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards.
This recall specifically affects 140,130 examples of the two-row Jeep Grand Cherokee between model years 2022 and 2026. The other 278,905 units are three-row Grand Cherokee Ls, between model years 2023 and 2025.
The automaker says there is no indication of the software-related sensor fault prior to the failure. However, once the fault sets, the airbag light will continuously illuminate, and a chime will sound at each ignition cycle, which is meant to alert the driver that there is a problem. According to the report, FCA first became aware of the issue after warranty claims cropped up in February 2023. It spent the next three years investigating the issue, and decided to initiate a voluntary safety recall on May 14, 2026.
What’s the fix?
Since the problem is software-related, the remedy is as straightforward as you might think. Once FCA sends out a notification to owners between June 11 and June 19, dealer technicians will bring in vehicles and reprogram the Occupant Restraint Controller module software. Dealers should already be aware of the recall as of yesterday, May 28.
If you own a Jeep Grand Cherokee, you can also check your VIN through Mopar’s recall website (recall number 01D) or the NHTSA’s portal (recall number 26V-328).
