Jeep is once again recalling hybrid Jeeps, this time alerting the public that 112,859 Wrangler and Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrids are at risk of engine failure due to sand contamination in the engine.
The recall follows a recall of more than 300,000 vehicles issued for certain hybrid Jeeps on Nov. 4 due to the risk of spontaneous fire, as well as a recall from September of more than 90,000 hybrid Jeeps that were at risk of a random loss of propulsion.
This time around, the plug-in hybrid Jeeps under recall are the 2023-2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe and 2024-2025 Jeep Wrangler 4xe.
Stellantis spokesperson Frank Matyok said in a statement to the Detroit Free Press that an internal investigation determined that those Jeeps “may have been built with 2.0L engines that could be contaminated with sand from the casting process.”
Sand is used in the casting process of large pieces of metal. Contamination, in this case, means that small grains of sand are still present in the engine, which can damage parts of the engine over time and lead to excess wear and tear.
“In rare cases, this condition could result in a vehicle fire or an unexpected loss of propulsion,” Stellantis said.
Customers driving affected vehicles may notice a knocking sound coming from the engine bay or notice a warning light before their engines fail, the company said.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report on the recall said that the potentially contaminated engines were produced in Mexico from June 7, 2023, until March 4, 2025, according to the agency’s review of engine and vehicle manufacturing records.
A remedy is currently under development, Stellantis said. Affected customers will be notified by the company when they can schedule service.
Liam Rappleye covers Stellantis and the UAW for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: LRappleye@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jeep recalls 112,000 hybrid SUVs over engine sand contamination risk
Reporting by Liam Rappleye, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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