Jeep recalls current Grand Cherokee

UPDATED 12:00pm AEST JEEP is recalling 648 current-generation WK Grand Cherokees in Australia after discovering an issue with its 'Ready Alert Braking System' (RAB) that affects the feel of the brake pedal.

It comes as a part of a global recall of 25,250 WK Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos that was issued earlier this month, with 18,700 of those sold in the United States.

The Australian recall relates to WK Grand Cherokees built between October 11, 2011 through to October 1, 2012. The facelifted version that arrived in July 2013 is not affected.

The RAB system prepares the brakes for emergency situations when the driver quickly releases the accelerator, thereby anticipating an emergency brake stop. It uses the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) pump to set the brake pads against the rotors to reduce the time required for full braking.

A statement on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's product recalls website says the vehicle's Ready Alert Braking System “may result in the driver experiencing a hard brake pedal feel”.

“Due to increased resistance the driver may not push the pedal as intended, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle,” the statement said.

The Fiat Chrysler Group Australia confirmed that an investigation into the issue determined that "brake-fluid flow was being restricted too much".

It also confirmed that the Fiat Chrysler Group was alerted to the issue when a supplier advised them about the performance of a component that accommodates the RAB system.

Jeep points out in the release that the brake function was not lost and was in compliance, but that “pedal feel was not consistent with customer expectations”, suggesting that the issue was more related to driver comfort than safety.

It also said that it was unaware of any related injuries or accidents.

Jeep's Australian arm is advising owners to contact their local dealer who will carry out an inspection of the braking system and update the software to optimise flow and restore "appropriate pedal feel".

Late last year, the American car-maker issued a recall of the 7800 Grand Cherokees in Australia due to a fault with its electronic safety system that affected the instrument cluster display. The fix involved a free software update.

Earlier in 2013, the Chrysler Group issued a global recall of 2.7 million vehicles after the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) declared that Grand Cherokees built between 1993 and 2004 and Libertys (sold here as Cherokees) produced between 2002 and 2007 had potentially faulty fuel tanks that could cause fire in the event of a rear collision.

The US car-making giant disputed the claim but issued the recall regardless in an effort to allay customer's concerns.