TOLEDO, Ohio — A recall is issued for more than 46,000 Jeep Gladiator pickups and Jeep Wranglers that have manual transmissions. Jeep owners this morning -
Jeep is reporting problems with manual transmissions because of the potential for the clutch assembly to overheat, creating a fire risk.
The recall affects 2018 and 2021 Wranglers and 2020 and 2021 Gladiators with a V-6 engine.
Owners will be notified by mid-March if their vehicle is under recall. Drivers might smell a burnt clutch odor before the failure occurs.
Dealerships will update the software of affected vehicles.
According to Consumer Reports, the problem is that the clutch pressure plate, which transfers power from the engine to the transmission, could overheat, leading the clutch to fracture. The fracture could cause cracks or holes in the transmission, which then allows heated debris to be expelled.
Jeep's parent company, Stellantis, said there has been one minor accident but is unaware of any injuries related to the clutch problems.
If you need to reach Stellantis customer service, call 800-853-1403. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign number for this recall is 21V028000 and the Stellantis number for the recall is Y01.
