Stellantis is pulling back 11,767 Jeep Wagoneer S models — spanning three model years, 2024 through 2026 — because a liftgate hinge cover might fly off while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted the recall notice this week, classifying the detaching part as a collision risk.
The problem is straightforward: the hinge cover wasn’t properly clipped into place during assembly. There’s no dashboard warning light, no chime, no fault code. Drivers might hear a rattle, glance in the mirror and notice the cover isn’t seated flush, or they might not notice anything until the piece separates at highway speed and becomes a projectile for whoever’s behind them.
It’s the kind of defect that sounds minor until it isn’t.
The Wagoneer S is Jeep’s flagship battery-electric SUV, the vehicle Stellantis positioned as proof that the brand could compete in the EV luxury space against the BMW iX and Cadillac Lyriq. It launched with big promises about range, performance, and craftsmanship. A hinge cover that can’t stay attached isn’t exactly a confidence builder for buyers spending north of $70,000.
Stellantis assigned the recall number 26D. Owner notification letters won’t go out until May 1, more than a month from the public disclosure. In the meantime, affected owners are told to take the vehicle to a dealer, where the hinge cover will be inspected and, if needed, repaired or replaced at no charge.
No injuries or crashes have been reported in connection with the defect — yet. That “yet” matters, because the recall covers vehicles built across a production window wide enough to suggest this wasn’t a one-batch assembly error. Three model years of the same problem points to a persistent fit issue in the manufacturing process, not a Friday afternoon hiccup.
For Stellantis, the timing is lousy. The company is already fighting on multiple fronts: UAW tension over non-union bonus payouts, leadership upheaval following Carlos Tavares’ departure, and a broader struggle to convince the market it has a coherent EV strategy. The Wagoneer S was supposed to be a bright spot. Instead, it joins a long list of recent Stellantis recalls that chip away at the narrative of a turnaround taking shape.
The broader recall landscape hasn’t been kind to the industry lately either. Ford just pulled back more than 1.8 million vehicles. Hyundai halted Palisade sales entirely over a power seat defect linked to a child’s death.
But volume isn’t the only thing that matters in a recall. Perception is. The Wagoneer S doesn’t have hundreds of thousands of units on the road building goodwill through sheer ubiquity.
Every one of those 11,767 owners is an early adopter, the kind of buyer who took a chance on Jeep’s electric future. They’re influencers in the most organic sense — neighbors, coworkers, and family members all watching to see if the bet paid off.
A hinge cover that rattles loose won’t kill the Wagoneer S. But for a vehicle that needs every advantage it can get, it’s one more thing owners didn’t sign up for.
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