JEEP 2004: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

Recall Insight

This NHTSA action (record #04V111000) was formally reported on March 4, 2004. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. JEEP is listed as the recalling firm. The number of affected units is not disclosed in the agency filing, which is common for drug and food recalls where lot-level tracking supersedes unit counts.

The documented reason for this recall is: ON SOME SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, CERTAIN REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) INPUT MAY CAUSE THE BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM) SOFTWARE TO ACTUATE THE DOOR LOCK MOTORS CONTINUOUSLY. The specific hazard cited in the filing is: THIS CAN CAUSE THE LOCK MOTOR BEARINGS TO OVERHEAT AND SEIZE. IF THIS OCCURS, THE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM WILL BECOME INOPERATIVE.. Distribution data in the federal record shows the product reached: United States. Distribution scope directly affects the consumer exposure window and determines whether a recall remains regional or escalates into a nationwide advisory. The remedy documented by the agency is: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE, AS NECESSARY, THE DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLIES AND THE BCM SOFTWARE WILL BE UPDATED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MAY 10, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1… — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 1 were also issued by NHTSA. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 22 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.