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2016 and 2017 Air Bag Failure Recall Coming

18K views 152 replies 54 participants last post by  Artdnj 
#1 ·
The linked article below appeared today.

This is not a part of the Takata air bag inflator problem, but a wiring routing issue that causes the air bags to fail to inflate in the event of a collision:

Airbag failures prompt Jeep Wrangler recall | LeftLaneNews

I would guess that this can be resolved in a reasonable amount of time.
 
#2 ·
This is what a local article said on this:

DETROIT (AP) — Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 200,000 Jeep Wrangler SUVs in the U.S. and Canada because the air bags may not inflate in a crash.
The recall covers certain 2016 and 2017 Wranglers. The company says in government documents that wiring to a sensor can come loose, cutting off signals to an air bag computer. If that happens, the seat belt pretensioners won't work and the air bags won't deploy.
The company says the problem hasn't caused any crashes or injuries. It was discovered during company crash tests. Fiat Chrysler found that during a crash, the left headlight would rotate, pulling the wiring loose.
Repairs to fix the problem aren't ready yet and there's no schedule for the recall to begin. Owners can contact FCA at (800) 853-1403.
 
#119 ·
This is what a local article said on this:

DETROIT (AP) — Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 200,000 Jeep Wrangler SUVs in the U.S. and Canada because the air bags may not inflate in a crash.
The recall covers certain 2016 and 2017 Wranglers. The company says in government documents that wiring to a sensor can come loose, cutting off signals to an air bag computer. If that happens, the seat belt pretensioners won't work and the air bags won't deploy.
The company says the problem hasn't caused any crashes or injuries. It was discovered during company crash tests. Fiat Chrysler found that during a crash, the left headlight would rotate, pulling the wiring loose.
Repairs to fix the problem aren't ready yet and there's no schedule for the recall to begin. Owners can contact FCA at (800) 853-1403.
I called the 1-800 number and FCA Stated there is no recall on my 2017 Willys.


:iamhappy:
 
#3 ·
Further information from Jeep as a result of my phone call to them:

* The article posted is correct and the issue is confirmed.
* 2016-2017 vehicles are being recalled for this.
* Recalls should go out shortly.
* It sounds like the issue is in the wiring harness, which becomes disconnected from the sensor, pretensioner or inflator in an impact.
* The list of vehicles appears to be only JK models (not absolutely certain).
* It is not clear when Jeep recognized the problem.
* It is not clear if a running correctional change was made in manufacturing after Jeep was made aware of the problem.
* Approximate tally of vehicles being recalled - 182,00 (US), 18,000 (Canada), 3,000 (Mexico), 3,000 (Rest of the world)
* VINs affected have not yet been assigned to the recall - should take about a week or so.
* No fix has been determined, so even though you will get a notice, it is not known how long it will take to correct the issue.

So, if you have a 2016 or 2017, you should be able to find out by calling Jeep at 800-992-1997 in a week or so. By that time, it should become clear whether this only effects JK units.
 
#5 ·
Where did FCA say that no 2017 JK models have been sold? Several of us already have them.

I ordered a 2017 to be sure I was avoiding the Takata inflator problem (which was confirmed to me as being correct today), but wound up with another unrelated airbag problem entirely. At least this one won't kill you while you're just driving along without being in an accident and seems to have an easy fix that hopefully won't take too long.

I wonder what Jeep will say about any collisions where airbags don't deploy and owners have installed aftermarket headlights? I have Cibies on the way and had not in my wildest dreams imagined this scenario.... Will someone have to hire an attorney to argue that his aftermarket headlight didn't cause the rotation which disconnected the harness?:pcwhack:
 
#6 ·
This article claims
Fiat Chrysler says none of the affected 2017 models have been sold yet.
But as you say, thousands of people have already received 2017's

I would be highly shocked if it only affected 1 certain trim level that they happened to sell none of yet... Seems like every trim level has already been produced and shipped.

Fiat Chrysler recalls 310,800 vehicles, including Jeeps, Rams
 
#7 ·
Well... Since I first posted the link at around 0800 this morning they have updated it further to now say...

Wrangler SUVs affected are from the 2016 and 2017 model years made from June 16, 2015 to Aug. 14, 2016, according to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2017 model-year Wranglers are still with the company, FCA said.

About an hour earlier it just said this...
Fiat Chrysler says none of the affected 2017 models have been sold yet.

So maybe the only 2017's affected were the "pre-production" test runs that were not sold...

seems like a very dynamic situation with information literally changing by the hour.
 
#13 ·
So with a Sept 2015 build date I dodged that bullet? My fingers are crossed since these things can change. I hope I dodged it. The less the dealership touches my vehicle after the sale the better.
 
#12 ·
"Wrangler SUV"

lol...I can hear the gnashing of teeth from here and the dead kittens are piling up fast!
 
#16 ·
I wonder if FCA will be required to issue a stop sale for this.

Just as soon as the judge approves the buyback (which has been pushed back another week), I am going to purchase my JKU from my employers Jeep store and get it transferred to my dealership. But if there is a stop sale, that will bugger everything up for me.
 
#18 ·
I am still a bit confused over this. From what I have been able to read, in a frontal collision, a headlight can be dislodged from its normal location. When that happens, the headlight's wires can be pulled, and with that, the wiring harness into which that wire goes, can be pulled. In that same harness, there is a wire that runs to a collision sensor. If the wiring harness moves, it can pull on the wire running to that sensor, and pull the wire connector out from the sensor.

What I don't understand, doesn't the connector to that sensor have a latch or clasp? I mean, I can't think of any electrical connector on a vehicle that doesn't have one. And by the time the collision has progressed far enough to substantially dislodge headlight, aren't the airbags already being deployed?
 
#20 · (Edited)
Walt, I would think the same. This "rotating headlight" declaration seems like some strange doin's to me. I don't doubt that they found that a headlight had rotated in the bucket, but in a frontal impact, the accordion action would seem to create slack in the harness - unless it was a glancing blow that pushed left front corner outward (or inward) against the length of the harness. Since I'm unfamiliar with the JK electrical system for now, I can't offer too much, but it does sound strange.

Maybe we need looser headlight connectors? :)


Ahhhhhh - wait...... I'm adding the adapter harnesses to the Cibies, so surely my change to the harness will create extra length to help in any collision. If I get into a frontal accident and the airbags don't deploy, that's what I'll put in my will as a gift to the attorney for my estate.
 
#19 ·
My 2017 JKU has been in 'I' inspection status for 9+ days, so I thought maybe this airbag recall was the cause. Only a Jeep Chat rep, so take it for what it's worth, but here's her response after I asked her if the recall is causing my build delay:

Jennifer: There is no additional clarification available to me at this time, Sang, I'm very sorry! I can assure you if there were to be any issue we'd reach out to you directly or through your dealership, but at this time it is in a normal status!
 
#21 ·
I don't really understand this. Production launch of the 17s was 9/19. Even the early, pre-production builds wouldn't have been as early as mid-august. Right? So why would this effect any 2017s??
 
#24 ·
I don't know how often vehicles undergo crash testing, but I suppose it's done in advance of each year and crash test vehicles may be built prior to start of production runs. If so, that may have provided enough time to revert to the pre-2016 harness, but if true, why didn't the 2016 crash test illuminate the harness issue in the 2016 models?

It's a real mystery to me.

Does anyone have a shop manual illustration of the harness routing?
 
#22 ·
Who really needs airbags and seat belts anyways? The production 2017s supposedly started on 9/19, but they apparently built several in a trial run prior to that. Those could be the 2017s affected and not released for sale. Or maybe we'll all get a letter soon... :whistling:
 
#23 ·
I have a 2016 JK Rubicon built in April.
I was in a collision last month (someone turned left in front of me).
I hit the other car broadside with my front right (passenger) bumper -- not squarely head-on, so it bent the passenger-side bumper toward my right tire.
The speed limit was 35mph, and I locked em up for maybe a second before impact (the other driver inexplicably darted right in front at the last possible moment).
I must have been traveling at least 25mph.
Our airbags did not deploy.
There was no (noticeable) damage to the driver-side (left) headlight.
The passenger-side headlight had to be replaced by the body shop, and two different codes caused by the collision had to be investigated and cleared by the local FCA dealership.
 
#27 ·
I have a little experience with this. As a Deputy in Florida I work a lot of crashes(more than I care to actually). On the occasions I have worked on involving a Wrangler I have noticed that the airbags rarely go off. The most recent one involved at 2014 Wrangler that had primary impact on the driver's side bumper area. Estimated speed of Wrangler was 15, the other car was at 40. No airbag deployment on the Wrangler but the Nissan it hit had all the airbags inflated.

In no way am I saying this is scientific but from personal experience I wonder if this will be beyond the recall years listed. I haven't worked a crash with a 16 or 17 yet and I hope I never do. I cry a little every time I see a wrecked Wrangler. Be safe everyone
 
#31 ·
You have to decide which is a higher risk; the chances of a strange esoteric failure that is hard to envision, or the likelihood that some newb at the dealership who was pushing a broom last week will work on your Jeep's wiring using real tools?
 
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#38 ·
Wow. That's frightening. I'm sure many mechanics do sketchy things we aren't aware of. It was nice being blissfully ignorant. Thanks for ruining it haha.

I did go to a shop one time for a suspension work quote. When I walked by the open bay and saw a customers brake caliper hanging by the brake line, it was enough to make me turn around. I ended up doing it myself.
 
#43 ·
I have a fun dealer totals out a car story:

I was working at a Cadillac/GMC dealership in the 90's. A man brought his new Yukon in for the first oil change. The normal oil change guy was sick, so there was a fillin. He did not know the difference between the truck lift and the car lift. The truck lift had cut outs for the differentials, whereas the car lift did not have any cut outs. He put the Yukon onto the car lift. I saw him lifting it up, as soon as the weight was off the tires the Yukon rolled to the driver side due to the weight being on the diffs and the drive side axle. I saw this, thought "wtf is he doing?". Most people would have stopped when a full sized SUV rolls to its side, but not this guy. He forged ahead, and when the lift got to the top, it shook a little, and the Yukon literally flipped right off the top of the lift, dropped 7 feet, and landed upside down in the empty bay next to the car lift....
 
#50 ·
If anyone is interested these are the results of an online chat: I did a bit of editing for obvious reasons:

*Mathew: Hi, my name is Mathew. How may I help you?*
*Mathew: Hello, how may I help you today?*
*Frank D: Hi, i read that 2016 Wranglers were being recalled for an airbag issue? My vin # is 1C4HJWCG.... I was wondering if mine is impacted? Thanks*
*Mathew: That is a good question Frank and I can look into this for you. The last 8 digits of the VIN are correct?*
*Frank D: yes*
*Mathew: Would you mind providing the owner information on the vehicle so that I can be certain we have it up to date? Could I have the name it is registered under, the current physical mailing address and the primary phone number?*
*Frank D
*Mathew: Thank you Frank. For our record today, what is the mileage on the vehicle? A rough estimate is fine.*
*Frank D: 4,435 miles*
*Mathew: Thank you Frank. Currently there are no recalls on the vehicle. However, I do know which one you are referring to and we are currently investigating to see which vehicles do fall under that recall; recalls are based on the VIN of the vehicle for when and where it was built and what installed on it from factory. If your vehicle does end up under that recall, we will send out recall notices to let you know, and you can keep an eye on*http://recalls.mopar.com/*
*Frank D: Ok so there is still a chance mine might not be recalled even though it was built during the time frame mentioned in the articles I've been reading?*
*Mathew: Correct Frank, it is possible that your vehicle is not under the recall, we do need to wait for the investigation to finish to find out for certain.*
*Frank D: Ok, thanks.*
*Mathew: You're welcome Frank. Is there anything else I could help you with today?*
*Frank D: No that's it, enjoy the day.*
*Mathew: You too Frank. Thank you for contacting Jeep Customer Care. Please chat with us again if you need further assistance. You can also look for updates on our website*www.Jeep.com.Have a good day!*

Bottom line is time will tell.
 
#56 ·
#57 ·
A fellow board member and friend sent me a link to an article this morning stating the recall is "voluntary."
Jeep Recalls Some Wrangler Models for Wiring Issue » AutoGuide.com News
I'd say that's smart business rather than being forced to do the recall. Especially with something like airbags.
I've checked my 2017 JK VIN on the Jeep website and the NHTA site - nothing shows up. I guess we won't know if Jeep has assigned and published VINs for this until someone with a 2016 JK checks and gets a hit.
 
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