Jeep Recalls 97,349 Wagoneers Over Roof Crossbars That Can Fly Off — No Fix Yet
Dealers will replace the crossbar pivot bolts for free, but the parts aren't ready — the first letter owners get on October 8 will only warn them of the risk.
Chrysler is recalling 97,349 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs because the crossbars on their roof racks may not have been bolted down tightly enough at the factory. The fix is a set of new bolts, but the parts aren't ready: the first letter owners receive next month will only warn them about the risk.
The recall covers the 2022–2025 Wagoneer, 2022–2026 Grand Wagoneer, 2023–2025 Wagoneer L, and 2023–2026 Grand Wagoneer L, according to the NHTSA filing (campaign 26V-584). That takes in the refreshed 2026 Grand Wagoneer that Stellantis began shipping to dealers at the end of last year. Grand Cherokee and Wrangler are not part of this action.
What can go wrong
The crossbars on these SUVs attach to the roof rails with pivot bolts, and Chrysler says those bolts may not have been tightened properly. A loose crossbar can separate from the vehicle, and NHTSA's assessment is blunt: a crossbar lying on the highway is a road hazard that raises the risk of a crash for whoever is behind you.
The filing leaves several questions open. It doesn't say whether any crossbars have actually come off, whether any crashes or injuries have been reported, or how many of the 97,349 vehicles have loose bolts—that figure is the number potentially affected. It also doesn't address crossbars installed later at a dealer as an accessory.
A warning first, the repair later
Dealers will replace the crossbar pivot bolts free of charge, but Chrysler hasn't said when the replacement bolts will be available. Interim notification letters are scheduled to go out on October 8, 2026, telling owners about the safety risk; a second letter will follow once the final remedy is ready. The filing doesn't tell owners what to do with their roof racks in the meantime.
Chrysler's internal number for the recall is 81D, and its customer service line is 1-800-853-1403. NHTSA received the report on September 10, and affected VINs became searchable on nhtsa.gov on September 17—which is why the recall surfaced only now.
Third time in a year that parts can fall off
Loose exterior parts are becoming a pattern for Jeep's full-size SUVs. In September 2025, Chrysler recalled 163,735 Wagoneers and Grand Wagoneers from 2022–2025 because door trim may not have been installed properly and could detach (campaign 25V-593). Two weeks later came a second action for 123,396 vehicles from 2022–2024 whose quarter-window trim wasn't properly secured (25V-642). NHTSA used the same "road hazard" language in both cases.
The quarter-trim recall is also a reminder that "interim" can mean a long wait: that report reached NHTSA on September 25, 2025, and owner letters didn't start going out until February 19, 2026, roughly five months later.
This roof rack recall is separate from the tire-pressure monitoring recall Chrysler filed earlier this month, which also includes the Wagoneer family but is a software update handled at the dealer.
Timing-wise, the recall lands as Stellantis leans on the Wagoneer to help turn Jeep around. The company said Wagoneer sales were up 67% in the fourth quarter of 2025 versus a year earlier, and the refreshed Grand Wagoneer, which we compared with the Ram Ramcharger, is one of the new launches it is counting on this year.
Owners can check whether their vehicle is included by entering its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The next milestones to watch are the October 8 interim letters and Chrysler's announcement of when the replacement bolts will be in dealer hands.
