Jeep Grand Cherokee Ls face another recall — headlights might stop working due to an incomplete software update. This could cause one or both lights to stop working.
Owners of the affected vehicles — a little under 37,000 in the U.S. and around 1,300 in Canada — will start being notified near the end of January 2022. At that point, owners can head to the dealer for the fix. Otherwise, owners can call FCA/Jeep/Stellantis customer service at 800-853-1403. The recall number is Y72.
Meanwhile, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4XE is also facing a recall due to a software update. In this case, an update gone wrong has caused the odometer’s mileage to disappear after 13,342 miles. About 2,900 vehicles have been affected.
Again, notifications go out at the end of January 2022.
[Image: Jeep]
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Headlights used to be simple – switch, wiring, filament, perhaps a relay, done. The headlights on my daughter’s 2010 Liberty work about 70% of the time (after multiple replacements of the headlight switch, with its very involved chips and circuitry). How about we don’t overcomplicate things? [Too late? Ok nevermind.]
Pretty sure that the 13,342 issue was due to an early (premature) and incomplete rollout of the next phase of travel restrictions [U.S. private sector customers limited to 1,111 miles per month]. (Will need the coding soon, but it wasn’t supposed to be released yet.)
“The headlights on my daughter’s 2010 Liberty work about 70% of the time”
I realize technically its overall complicated issue as you point out, but my initial reaction when reading this was simply “Chrysler”.
Wally Chrysler is probably rollong over in his grave, along with two generations of engineers who had made Chrysler a top engineering company.
When Accountant Lynn Townsend took over in 1960, he did some needed, but brutal cutting back to make the company profitable, but he never stopped cutting until he left in 1975, leaving another finance man, John Riccardo, holding the bag.
Ricardo had the sense to realize accounting tricks weren’t enough, Chrysler needed a car guy with an engineering background, and recruited Lee Iacocca.
Iacocca saved the company, but also set back the engineering to pay back the government-guaranteed loan, until he bought American Motors and acquired a terrific design team that energized the company.
Too bad Iacocca will also be known for killing the company by choosing GM-lifer Bob Eaton as his successor instead of Maximum Bob Lutz. Eaton sold Chrysler down the river to Daimler and netted a hefty golden parachute in the process.
Golden parachute is nothing compared with the eternity in hell. He will be there.
@Lorenzo,
Your posts are better than mine. How do we get people like you to post more? (Homework question)
One of the things that annoyed me on my Ram was the horn. Instead of the tried and true relay, they routed it through the CAN bus. Tap the wheel, nothing, press the wheel, wait for a noticeable delay and THEN the horn would blow. Petty complaint, sure. Question is, what was wrong with the old way other than it might cost 10 cents a unit for a relay?
I don’t drive a bus and I haven’t been allowed into Canada for awhile now, so why would I need a CAN bus?
HA! I’ll bet the reason you’re not allowed into Canada would make an interesting story. If there’s a car connection, maybe you should write it up and run it by Tim Healey.
I love it when they do that. It’s fun, once you have owned the bus to turn off the ECU while turning on the lights and activating the horn at night. It’s funny…except when I’m on a DoD test and an ambush follows.
I’d think you’d want that relay given the amperage of the headlight circuit though.
Ask yourself this question: When Ford built the 1953 Corvette, did it include a headlight relay?
https://www.zip-corvette.com/53-54-55-6-cyl-color-wiring-diagram-11-x-17.html
Never did trust those Ford-built Corvettes.
I heard that’s where they put the engine which ran on water.
“headlights might stop working due to an incomplete software update.”
REALLY?
*warning, post holiday rage incoming*
As a representative of the IT community I hereby implore the automotive industry:
STOP TRYING TO DEVELOP SOFTWARE, YOU SUCK AT IT AND YOUR PRODUCTS WILL NEVER BE SUITABLE CANDIDATES FOR PURE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT DUE TO THEIR COST AND COMPLEXITY. GO BACK TO WATERFALL WITH LIMITED PLATFORM CHANGES! LIMITED AS IN THE CAR GETS FLASHED AT THE DEALER ONCE OR TWICE IN ITS LIFESPAN.
Why is it Bosch can write firmware in the mid 80s (LH 2.4) for RWD Volvos which worked for decades and *still works* BUT YOU CLOWNS CAN’T KEEP HEADLIGHTS WORKING? HOW ARE YOU STILL EMPLOYED AND/OR NOT IN JAIL FOR FAILING TO KEEP EVEN BASIC SAFETY SYSTEMS FUNCTIONAL? NEXT ARE YOU GOING TO RANDOMLY START DETONATING AIR BAGS BECAUSE YOU FORGOT TO CARRY THE ONE?
Not sure when it started, but devolution has clearly been the order of the 21st Century to this point.
Quality rant.
No headlights? It’s a Jeep thing. You wouldn’t understand.
Who needs them? Jeeps are made to plow through lesser vehicles (well not so much the “Jeeps”).
Thats funny….
2000 Grand Cherokee
2005 Grand Cherokee
2007 Commander
2010 Wrangler
2012 wrangler
2016 Wrangler
2019 Cherokee
Only unscheduled issue I’ve ever had was when the 2016 ate the battery at 28k miles. So for all of you claiming “Chrysler quality” or “Jeep thing”, put your list up against mine. Even the 9speed in my Cherokee has been flawless. As soon as Jeep turns the Friends and Family discount back on for the the JKU I’ll be ordering a 4xe.
Ditto.
Must be a reeeeally slow news day when two Jeep recalls merit an article, as if just about every manufacturer didn’t issue recall notices throughout the year.
Glad your Jeeps have all been great, but “headlights fail all the sudden” is pretty damn bad.
Happened on my GP one evening… I credit myself with being responsible for the eventual expanded recall but allow be to explain. After this happened I switched to high beams and got home, but researched the problem which had previously been documented on forums as a fried relay and I replaced it myself. I then discovered GM has previously issued a recall for 05-09 Lacrosse, Lucerne, and Impala but oddly enough completely forgot about the Grand Prix in the recall announcement. After several transfers on a call to some GM 1-800 number I left a less than pleasant voicemail for some department reminding them “Duh they are all 3800 W and G bodies and that *includes* the Pontiac Grand Prix”.
Pon-tiac?
GM isn’t sure what that’s all about.
Sooo…you replace it every 2 or 3 years for the most part and that is supposed to somehow imply that they are quality products? My “new F150” has been around longer than you had any of those and no issues. Heck I’ve had my 20 year old Corvette longer than you would have had some.of those and all I’ve had go bad was a clutch slave cylinder…and it was pushing 20 when I got it.
Unfortunately the design defect of the 2000 Grand Cherokee was the fireball it became when it was rear ended. Solution? Install a trailer hitch. After hearing emotional testimony of parents losing their children to the fires, you can’t help but feel bad for them. This was a real problem and you can research it online!
Jeeps probably turn off one light when you signal to turn anyway, so why worry. :)