Track bar frame weld issue recall! [Updated with official UA5 recall notice w/ repair procedure]

[rjrubi]

My contact at the NHTSA is 100% certain my VIN is affected (see the email above). My VIN isn’t showing up on either website. The question is...why?

Maybe because yours was the first one? It is odd and only FCA can answer that one.

Sponsored

 

[TroyBoy]

The first vehicle I ever wanted to buy was a CJ7. I waited a lot of years. I finally traded in my 18 year old 4Runner for a JL Sahara, and a few weeks later I get the notification on the MOPAR app that I am in the recall list. Now, my nice new Jeep sits in my garage with all of 65 miles on it. It sits in my garage gathering dust, with a battery tender keeping it charged up and ready. I've already had to cancel one trip because I can't take the chance on the road. I'm ready to contact a lawyer.

Hav you looked at the welds? They are probably good enough for you to drive it.

 

[melendez69]

Is there a list posted somewhere. All I've done is use the Mopar site, (log in) and nothing pops up. I just don't know if that's where everyone else is learning if they are on the "list" or not??

you can also check NHTSA

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

 

[Jlrut]

And contacting a lawyer will do what? You haven’t even given FCA a chance to fix it.

FCA has known of this problem for months and the NHTSA forced their hand. I’ve been dealing with a steering issue on my 2 door rubicon since purchase and the TA and service dept all acknowledge the issue but still no solution. They’ve done all the tsb’s, tighten ball joints, etc, align and tow, replaced steering box.
Go back and look at the 2 door rollout and the delayed start dates, etc. I said then we could expect more issues as this new rollout looked as if it were a bunch of rookies.
So, I’m parked as well with a pretty expensive garage ornament.

I don’t share your patience based on what I’ve seen. FCA has not only done nothing to earn it, they’ve done a lot to eliminate it.

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

My contact at the NHTSA is 100% certain my VIN is affected (see the email above). My VIN isn’t showing up on either website. The question is...why?

Further up in the thread it was revealed that MOPAR has until 11/17 to submit all VINs. Be patient.

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

The first vehicle I ever wanted to buy was a CJ7. I waited a lot of years. I finally traded in my 18 year old 4Runner for a JL Sahara, and a few weeks later I get the notification on the MOPAR app that I am in the recall list. Now, my nice new Jeep sits in my garage with all of 65 miles on it. It sits in my garage gathering dust, with a battery tender keeping it charged up and ready. I've already had to cancel one trip because I can't take the chance on the road. I'm ready to contact a lawyer.

That’s on you, brother. Crawl under it and see how it looks. 99% chance it’s just fine. I wouldn’t let it sit in the garage, and in fact I’m not. My $0.02.

 

[tombovo]

That’s on you, brother. Crawl under it and see how it looks. 99% chance it’s just fine. I wouldn’t let it sit in the garage, and in fact I’m not. My $0.02.

I have looked, but my opinion on frame welds means nothing. I plan on adding Rusty's track bar bracket if I can find my torque wrench.

 

[HRDRCK]

Lucky me.... looks like they knew my welds where shit.... wishing I would have just kept my hard rock...

 

[NCJeepn73]

My contact at the NHTSA is 100% certain my VIN is affected (see the email above). My VIN isn’t showing up on either website. The question is...why?

Same. Even though my current JLUR had several welds, like the track bar bracket, re-welded, it clearly failed inspection and FCA agreed. That's why the replacement was started, because they looked at the re-welds and said, "yeah, those are not allowable." So, I'm driving around on a failed re-welded vehicle but the VIN does not show up for any recalls.

I also know of at least two other owners who's welds on the track bar look horrid. But they are also not on the recall.

Further, my CWIs predict that enough will be shown to NHTSA regarding welds all around the new JLs to cause another recall for frame welds in general.

 

[Jlrut]

Same. Even though my current JLUR had several welds, like the track bar bracket, re-welded, it clearly failed inspection and FCA agreed. That's why the replacement was started, because they looked at the re-welds and said, "yeah, those are not allowable." So, I'm driving around on a failed re-welded vehicle but the VIN does not show up for any recalls.

I also know of at least two other owners who's welds on the track bar look horrid. But they are also not on the recall.

Further, my CWIs predict that enough will be shown to NHTSA regarding welds all around the new JLs to cause another recall for frame welds in general.

since you've had yours inspected independently, are there other welds besides the trac bar that are suspect? I'm on the recall, but my welds look OK on the trac bar. That said, I'm not qualified to make a call one way or another. My issue is and still has been steering. The trac bar recall is just icing on the cake

 

[NCJeepn73]

since you've had yours inspected independently, are there other welds besides the trac bar that are suspect? I'm on the recall, but my welds look OK on the trac bar. That said, I'm not qualified to make a call one way or another. My issue is and still has been steering. The trac bar recall is just icing on the cake

Hi, yes there are other suspect or malformed, porous, or misaligned welds. Also a small crack in a frame cross brace weld seam/bead, rear sway bar brackets are poorly welded, under frame welds misaligned, and others.

The brown/orange color slag (silica) in the welds is of concern too. My CWIs have stated that once the slag breaks away or fall off, the welds will be totally exposed, causing immediate rusting at those critical frame joints. So, if you have quite a few welds with a good amount of slag then they cannot be painted because paint doesn't stick to silica, and they can wear/break away. A little bit of slag is acceptable. But not big pools of it as I've seen on mine amd many others.

 

[StevieBuns]

So I’ll throw my piece in here, my VIN is on the recall list as well. I contacted my dealership and no surprise they weren’t any help. They said they couldn’t even inspect the welds because FCA doesn’t have a repair part yet, they told me to contact FCA.

I called FCA and they were equally unhelpful, they told me to contact the dealership and then I had an embarrassing conversation with the representative at FCA that it’s my “opinion” the Jeep is unsafe to drive. I asked to escalate the complaint and was given a reference number and told a case manager will contact me in 24 hours.

My next call was to NHTSA to file a complaint against the dealership and FCA and received a case number for that as well.

I ordered the Rusty’s trackbar brace, I’ll install that and see where this circus goes next.

Steve

Btw I still love the Jee and everything and I’m overall very happy. Even with the shoddy steering and the weld issues and all.

 

[tombovo]

So I’ll throw my piece in here, my VIN is on the recall list as well. I contacted my dealership and no surprise they weren’t any help. They said they couldn’t even inspect the welds because FCA doesn’t have a repair part yet, they told me to contact FCA.

I called FCA and they were equally unhelpful, they told me to contact the dealership and then I had an embarrassing conversation with the representative at FCA that it’s my “opinion” the Jeep is unsafe to drive. I asked to escalate the complaint and was given a reference number and told ancase manager will contact me

I could live with the recall if they would just come up with a solution or remedy. If the issue impacts other welds, how can I check them all? As it is now, I expect to run out of steaks from COSTCO soon, and I won't be able to re-stock the freezer. That makes me very unhappy. And hungry.

 

[StevieBuns]

You need to order Omaha steaks and send the bill to FCA!

Steve

 

[UNC Rubicon]

Per my contact at NHTSA, all affected VINs have been uploaded. Mine wasn’t uploaded because it is “already fixed.”

Sponsored