Jeep Calls Back Cherokee Vehicles Over Steering Malfunction

Jeep sport utility drivers should check to see if their cars have been recalled before getting behind the wheel.

The auto manufacturer recently called back some 89,000 Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L SUVs. Jeep told federal regulators that faulty steering columns increase the risk of a crash.

“An incorrectly assembled intermediate shaft may potentially disconnect from the u-joint,” Jeep said in a defect notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “A disconnected intermediate shaft may result in a loss of steering control which can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning.”

The recall covers certain 2022 and 2023 Grand Cherokee SUVs, as well as 2021-2023 Grand Cherokee L SUVs. Those vehicles were produced between January 2021 and April 2023.

Drivers “may notice play in steering and/or noise when turning prior to the intermediate shaft disconnecting,” according to Jeep.

The company plans to notify owners via mail by July 7, it told NHTSA. Jeep will ask owners to bring their vehicles to authorized local dealers for inspection and repair.

“The remedy is to properly install the intermediate shaft,” Jeep said in the defect notice.

Other Jeep Recalls

This is not the first rodeo for Jeep and people who drive its cars when it comes to recalls.

In April, for example, the automaker called back some 36,000 Wrangler SUVs. Jeep said at the time that an “erroneously installed” fastener could puncture the vehicles’ gas tanks in the event of a crash, potentially causing a fire.

Last year, NHTSA announced that it was investigating a possible parking brake defect in certain Jeep Cherokee sport utility vehicles. The probe, covering some 1.3 million Jeep Cherokees vehicles, came in response to roughly 80 complaints that water leaking into SUVs makes parking brakes inoperable.

How the California Lemon Law Works

Jeep is not alone. Major auto manufacturers call back millions of vehicles every year, citing a wide range of defects that pose serious risks.

Fortunately, Jeep and other car owners in California have some valuable rights and protections under the state’s lemon law.

The lemon law generally requires carmakers to perform a wide range of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also forces manufacturers to buy back vehicles that they are unable or simply refuse to fix. That means compensating the owner for the vehicle’s purchase price, as well as financing charges, rental car costs and other related expenses.

A carmaker can instead offer to replace the vehicle, but it is up to the owner to decide whether to accept or reject this alternative arrangement.

Our California Lemon Lawyers Can Help

At Bickel Sannipoli, our California lemon law attorneys have assisted hundreds of clients across the state stuck with defective or malfunctioning vehicles. 

We are conveniently located in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law attorney today.