Recall wrap: Wheels could fall off Jeep Grand Cherokee

It’s gone almost 12 months without a hitch and it’s in no danger of eclipsing its WK predecessor as Australia’s most recalled model, but the latest WL-series Jeep Grand Cherokee has come in for another major nationwide product safety recall today.

This time thousands of examples of the large US-built SUV are at risk of losing a wheel, with a total of 2854 Jeep Grand Cherokees built between 2021 and 2023 involved in the recall, including regular and long-wheelbase seven0seat (Grand Cherokee L) versions.

According to the recall notice at the federal government’s Vehicle Recalls website, the WL Grand Cherokee’s upper control arm retaining bolts may have been damaged during vehicle assembly.

“This may cause the wheels to detach from the vehicle while driving, resulting in a loss of control,” says Jeep, adding that this increases the risk of an accident causing serious injuries or death to the driver and/or vehicle occupants or other road users.

Affected owners – see the list of affected vehicle identification numbers (VINs) here – are encouraged to contact their local Jeep dealership to have their vehicle repaired, free of charge.

In a separate recall also issued today, more than 10,000 examples of the smaller Jeep Cherokee mid-size SUV have been recalled due to a potential manufacturing defect.

A total of 10,160 units built between 2013 and 2015 are involved in the recall, with Jeep saying an electrical short circuit could cause the power liftgate module (PLGM) to fail, potentially resulting in a vehicle fire with the ignition turned on or off.

Again, owners of affected vehicles – listed on the official Vehicle Recalls site – should contact their nearest Jeep dealer to schedule a free inspection and repair.

Also this week, Stellantis sister brand Alfa Romeo has recalled 202 examples of its Tonale small SUV, 2023-built examples of which have been called back to the workshop over potential software issues.

The Italian car-maker says software settings loaded into the SUV might prevent it from recognising an obstruction – such as a human body part – between the frame and glass of the sunroof, which may not reverse until significant pressure is reached.

In its recall notice, Alfa says serious injury to vehicle occupants could occur if the sunroof does not operate as intended. It’s therefore asking the owners of affected vehicles to contact their nearest Alfa Romeo dealership to have the sunroof motors inspected and replaced for free.

Finally this week (for now), two separate recalls have been issued for the Aston Martin DBX.

The first and largest recall affects 217 examples of the large luxury SUV built between 2020 and 2023.

According to Aston, the fixings for the fuse box cables may not have been tightened to the correct torque.

“This could lead to a sudden loss of motive power, loss of headlights and power-assisted steering, and/or loss of other essential vehicle functions,” said Aston Marton.

It added that the vehicle’s hazard lights may also appear on the instrument cluster to alert the driver that multiple vehicle functions are not fully operational.

The second DBX recall notice affects 59 vehicles, all of which are newer versions of the DBX built between 2022-2023.

It says a manufacturing defect could cause the oil-cooler lines to burst, potentially resulting in a sudden loss of oil pressure, which Aston says could lead to the engine stalling or an oil leak that could result in a vehicle fire in the presence of an ignition source.

You can visit the government’s official Vehicle Recalls website for more information, or click here to find out if your Aston Martin DBX is affected in the first or second recall.

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