228,000 new Jeep SUVs recalled for airbag deployments

Washington — FCA US LLC, the company previously known as Chrysler, said Monday it will recall 228,181 late-model Jeep Cherokee SUVs after a small number of inadvertent air bag deployments.

The recall covers 2014 and 2015 Jeep Cherokee SUVs including 168,092 in the U.S.; 19,557 in Canada; 4,133 in Mexico; and 36,399 outside North America.

The company said it will upgrade software governing side-curtain and seat-mounted side air bags after an investigation into air bag deployments without a crash involving drivers who “executed extreme maneuvers. These maneuvers dramatically changed the vehicles’ angle of operation, relative to the ground.”

The air-bag systems, sensing potential rollovers, automatically activated, but the automaker said it is unaware of any related injuries or accidents.

Air bag recalls accounted for the largest single reason for the record number of vehicles recalled in 2014.

On Saturday, four automakers recalled 2.3 million vehicles for a new fix for another air bag problem. The recall covers an electronic defect that may cause air bags to deploy inadvertently. But those recalls are unrelated to Chrysler’s latest recall.

The recalls announced Saturday will provide vehicle owners with a new remedy after the manufacturers’ original attempts to fix the electronic defect in a series of recalls in 2012, 2013 and 2014 wasn’t “fully effective,” NHTSA said. NHTSA said it has reports of about 40 vehicles in which air bags deployed unexpectedly after receiving the original recall fix.

That recall covers 928,000 2002-2003 Jeep Libertys, 2002-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Vipers worldwide; 405,000 2003-2004 Honda Odysseys and 2003 Acura MDXs; and 1.01 million 2003-2004 Toyota Corollas, Toyota Matrixes, Toyota Avalons and Pontiac Vibes. The Vibes were built by Toyota for General Motors Co. at a now-closed joint operation.

DShepardson@detroitnews.com