Wagoneer recall and slump
Jeep’s Wagoneer S faces a two‑track problem: a safety recall affecting roughly 11,767 2024–2026 units requiring dealer inspection and repairs, and weak EV sales that analysts flagged for the brand. (recall + sales) Coverage shows dealers must inspect the recalled Wagoneer S units, industry reports say Stellantis saw gas Chargers outsell EV versions 7‑to‑1 in Q1, and Jeep’s CEO says the Grand Wagoneer 4xe plug‑in hybrid is 'right around the corner' as the brand repositions. (what it means) (cbtnews.com) (autoblog.com) (moparinsiders.com)
Jeep’s newest electric sport utility vehicle is now dealing with the kind of problem buyers notice fast: a recall before the model has built much momentum. Stellantis is recalling 11,767 Jeep Wagoneer S vehicles from model years 2024 through 2026 because a liftgate hinge cover may not be clipped in correctly and could detach onto the road. (nhtsa.gov) The fix is simple, but it still sends owners back to the dealer. Dealers are being told to inspect the liftgate hinge covers and replace them if needed at no charge, and owner letters are expected to start mailing on May 1, 2026. (nhtsa.gov) That would be manageable on its own if the Wagoneer S were selling well. It is not: industry coverage of Stellantis’s first quarter says Jeep sold just 175 Wagoneer S vehicles in the United States, down 93 percent from a year earlier. (autoblog.com) The weak demand is not limited to one Jeep model. In the same quarter, the gasoline Dodge Charger sold 1,672 units while the battery-electric Dodge Charger Daytona sold 240, which means the gas version outsold the electric one by about 7 to 1. (autoblog.com) Autoblog tied part of that drop to a policy change outside the showroom. The federal electric vehicle tax credit ended after the third quarter of 2025, and Stellantis’s electric lineup then posted steep year-over-year declines in early 2026. (autoblog.com) So Jeep is starting to lean harder on a middle step instead of an all-electric leap. Jeep Chief Executive Officer Bob Broderdorf said on April 8 that the Grand Wagoneer 4xe is “right around the corner,” signaling that the brand sees room for a plug-in model that still keeps a gas engine onboard. (moparinsiders.com) That shift fits the way Jeep has been talking about its larger sport utility vehicles for months. Stellantis said in October 2025 that the 2026 Grand Wagoneer would offer powertrains including an “America-first, range-extended sport utility electric vehicle,” which is a setup that uses electric drive with gasoline backup for longer trips. (stellantisnorthamerica.com) The awkward part for Jeep is timing. The Wagoneer S was supposed to help prove the brand could sell a premium electric vehicle, but instead it is heading into spring 2026 with a recall, 175 first-quarter sales, and a parent company watching buyers choose gasoline over batteries in one of its highest-profile launches. (nhtsa.gov) (autoblog.com) What Jeep appears to be betting on now is not a full retreat from electrification, but a different on-ramp. If the next big launch is a Grand Wagoneer 4xe instead of another pure battery model, that would tell you Jeep thinks its buyers still want an electric assist, just not without a fuel tank yet. (moparinsiders.com) (stellantisnorthamerica.com)
