Old Jeep Cherokees Are Being Recalled in China For the Most Ridiculous Reason

Not Your Usual Kind of Recall

Jeep is no stranger to recalls this year in the US, but this one seems the most odd. Chrysler (China) Automotive Sales Co., Ltd. has filed a recall covering a small batch of imported Jeep Cherokees sold in China between 2012 and 2015, citing non-compliance with updated lighting regulations.

The recall affects 3,565 vehicles built between October 29, 2012, and January 29, 2015, all imported to China before the GAC Fiat Chrysler production partnership. It’s an unusual recall not tied to mechanical failure or electronics, but to something as basic and bureaucratic as where a reversing light sits off the ground.

Recall Details and Fix

According to the filing, reported by Chinese publication Autohome, the issue stems from vehicles fitted with a lifting suspension kit that raises the reversing lights above the height allowed under current Chinese national standards. That positioning technically violates lighting regulations and, more importantly, poses a safety risk by reducing visibility for other road users when reversing.

Rather than lowering the suspension or relocating the lights, Chrysler China’s solution is as unconventional as this recall. The original reversing lights will be disabled free of charge, while the right rear fog light will be replaced with a unit that incorporates reversing light functionality. The body control module will then be reprogrammed to support the change.

Seems simple enough, but we can't ignore the fact that the recall is actually targeting over-a-decade-old models over a violation of a more advanced regulation. If the position wasn't up to par with the country's regulations back then, why were they sold in the first place? It's a weird retroactive recall, to say the least.

Which Cherokee Is Being Recalled?

The recalled vehicles are early Jeep Cherokee KL models imported before local production began in China. Globally, the KL-generation Cherokee marked a turning point for Jeep when it debuted in the mid-2010s, replacing the boxy Liberty with a crossover-style SUV riding on a unibody platform.

Independent suspension, available all-wheel-drive systems, and a relatively refined cabin positioned the Cherokee closer to mainstream crossovers than hardcore off-roaders. That balance worked reasonably well in North America, but in China, where buyers increasingly favored local brands with fresher tech and sharper pricing, the Cherokee never became a volume hit.

Of note, Stellantis, Jeep’s parent company, officially exited local Jeep production in China this year after years of weak sales and mounting losses. While the recall itself is routine regulatory housekeeping, it arrives just as Jeep’s long and ultimately unprofitable China experiment draws to a close.

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