NHTSA issued a recall for a total of 42,887 units of Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator, all equipped with a stick-shift. The affected vehicles are believed to be fitted with a faulty clutch assembly that could be dangerous in specific extreme scenarios.
According to the recall file, the main problem seems to lie with the clutch pressure plate, an essential part of any manual transmission used to apply pressure to the clutch plate to hold it tightly against the flywheel. In some cases, there is a risk of the pressure plate becoming overheated, which can cause it to fracture and break into tiny pieces. Even worse, due to the clutch assembly’s rotation speed and the centrifugal force acting on it, it tends to shoot debris outside the transmission, busting holes in the casing. The hot pieces may then come in contact with another component, potentially resulting in a fire.
This is a potentially dangerous situation, not only for the occupants but also for bystanders. FCA commented that it was aware of several transmission-related fire incidents on Jeep vehicles. Thankfully, however, there have been no reports of injuries, and the recall has been issued out of an abundance of caution, especially considering the massive potential safety risk it poses.
⚠️ Recall Alert
2018-2021 Jeep Wrangler and 2020-2021 Jeep Gladiator vehicles
Recalled for clutch pressure plate overheatinghttps://t.co/E5MQi7itwV— NHTSArecalls (@NHTSArecalls) February 3, 2021
Vehicles affected by the recalls include 36,692 units of the Jeep Wrangler SUV manufactured from August 23, 2013, to January 22, 2021, and 6,195 units of the Gladiator pickup truck made from December 21, 2018, to January 22, 2021.
The recall is scheduled to start from March 19th onwards, where Jeep will update all affected vehicles’ software to reduce engine torque when the clutch is operating at high temperatures, thereby decreasing the risk.
Hum… and what about installing pressure plates that could withstand the engine?
