Chrysler is recalling 2,990 model year 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee passenger vehicles (designated by Chrysler as WK-Body vehicles) manufactured from October 22 through November 12, 2009. The passenger side airbag may not properly deploy through the instrument panel tear seam. The airbag may not properly protect the passenger in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury. The campaign is expected to begin in December 2009. 09V-454

The supplier who manufactured the part was Masonico LLC in Fraser, Michigan. A quality control (continuing conformance test) at Masonico on November 11, 2009 revealed an improper deployment of the passenger air bag. The very next day, additional testing revealed that the passenger air bag was not deploying properly during both cold-temperature and ambient-temperature. That caused the assembly plant (Chrysler’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant) to stop production. Although it was determined that defective parts may have been installed in vehicles that were built as early as October 22, 2009, their failure to detect the defective parts for nearly three weeks raises serious questions about the effectiveness of their quality control program.

Changes to certain welds and the way the air bag door was scored were implemented. The recall fix involves having the instrument panel top cover replaced.