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.

Chrysler is recalling 4,336 model year 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Commander and Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Wiring may be reversed on the steering column control module driver airbag squib connector. (The squib is the component within the air bag inflator that begins the deployment process.) The driver’s airbag may not deploy as intended. In the event of a crash, the driver’s airbag will not deploy and will not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries.

On February 25, 2009 a defective Steering Column Control Module (SCCM) was found at a Chrysler instrument panel supplier. Analysis determined that wiring was reversed on the driver air bag squib connector. Investigation determined that the SCCM supplier manufacturing process locates the driver air bag squib wires into a fixture by hand and a vision system checks for correct wire color and position prior to soldering. It was also determined that if the fixture is in program mode, the squib wires can be soldered even if not correctly positioned.

The affected vehicles all utilize multi-stage driver airbags, and reversed squib wires may result in improper driver air bag deployment performance as the inflator stages fire in reverse order. 

This condition is not detectable by vehicle on-board diagnostics, and no malfunction indicator lamp will illuminate. This means that your air bag warning lamp will NOT be on, even though you may have the defective components.

The component was supplied by TRW Automotive Electronics Group.

The recall is expected to begin during May 2009. 09V-118.