Recall 12V527 affects 744,822 2002-2004 Jeep Liberty and Grand Cherokee SUVs for unintended airbag or pretensioner deployment. Repair is free at any franchised Jeep dealer.
Jeep recall 12V527 covers 744,822 2002-2004 Liberty and Grand Cherokee vehicles because a component in the air bag control module can fail and trigger the front airbags, side curtain airbags, or seatbelt pretensioners while the vehicle is being driven. Inadvertent deployment increases injury and crash risk, and the Jeep dealer repair will be free once available.
Does this recall apply to your specific vehicle?
The official, free per-VIN recall check is run by NHTSA. Enter your VIN and we'll forward you directly — and add you to a free watchlist so you hear about new recalls for your vehicle.
Check my VIN at NHTSARecallNotify doesn't check your VIN — NHTSA's official tool does. We use your email only to alert you to new recalls.
Watch this vehicle for recalls
Add it to your free watchlist and we will alert you as new federal recalls are posted for your year, make and model. New-recall alerts are rolling out now.
You are on the watchlist.
We will email you as new federal recalls are posted for your vehicle.
What's wrong?
The air bag control module is the electronic unit that decides when the restraint system should deploy. On the covered 2002-2004 Jeep Liberty and Grand Cherokee vehicles, it reads crash inputs and controls the front air bags, side curtain air bags, and seat belt pretensioners. The pretensioners tighten the belts at the start of a crash event.
In this recall, a component inside that control module can fail while the vehicle is being driven. When that happens, the module can trigger the front air bags, side curtain air bags, or seat belt pretensioners even though there has been no crash. That means the restraint system does the right job at the wrong time.
There is no warning sign before failure. An owner should not expect a light, sound, or change in how the Jeep drives before an unintended deployment.
Who's affected?
Covers Liberty and Grand Cherokee SUVs across the 2002, 2003, and 2004 model years, with front air bag and air bag system components included.
| 2003 Jeep Liberty | front air bag |
|---|---|
| 2003 Jeep Liberty | air bag system |
| 2002 Jeep Liberty | front air bag |
| 2002 Jeep Liberty | air bag system |
| 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee | front air bag |
| 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee | air bag system |
| 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee | front air bag |
| 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee | air bag system |
| 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee | front air bag |
| 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee | air bag system |
| Units affected | 744,822 |
The year and model narrow the scope, but the VIN decides. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific SUV is included.
What's the safety risk?
An airbag that deploys without a crash can injure occupants and startle the driver enough to lead to a crash. There is no warning sign before deployment, so schedule the recall repair soon and ask the dealer for guidance before driving farther than needed. Repair will be free at any franchised Jeep dealer once available.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2002-2004 Jeep Liberty or Grand Cherokee is included in this recall.
- Review the Jeep owner notice for repair availability before scheduling service.
- Contact a franchised Jeep dealer to ask about the free supplemental jumper harness repair for the air bag control module.
- Reference recall number 12V527 when you call the dealer or Jeep customer service.
- Drive with extra care until the repair is complete, since the airbags or seatbelt pretensioners can deploy while the vehicle is in operation.
What happens at the repair
The listed dealer repair is to install a supplemental jumper harness to the airbag control module. Once the final repair is available for your VIN, a Jeep technician adds that harness so the module has the updated connection path described in the recall. Parts and labor are covered under campaign 12V527. Chrysler sent interim owner letters in January 2013, with Liberty repairs described for April 2013 and Grand Cherokee repairs described for later in 2013. Confirm your VIN before scheduling service, since the repair path depends on the exact vehicle.
Timeline
| November 8, 2012 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| September 13, 2013 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 12V527?
Recall 12V527 covers 744,822 2002-2004 Jeep Liberty and Grand Cherokee vehicles with an air bag control module defect. A failed component can deploy the front airbags, side curtain airbags, or seatbelt pretensioners while the vehicle is being operated.
What should I do if my 2002-2004 Jeep Liberty or Grand Cherokee is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific Jeep is included in recall 12V527. If it is, contact a franchised Jeep dealer to schedule installation of the supplemental jumper harness for the air bag control module. Reference recall number 12V527 when you call.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires manufacturers to repair safety defects at no cost to owners. For recall 12V527, Jeep dealers install a supplemental jumper harness to the air bag control module free of charge.
What is the safety risk?
The safety risk is inadvertent airbag or seatbelt pretensioner deployment while the vehicle is being operated. That deployment can injure occupants and increase the chance of a crash. The free dealer repair adds the supplemental jumper harness to address the control module issue.
What if I bought my Jeep Liberty or Grand Cherokee used?
The free repair still applies. Recall eligibility follows the VIN, not the original owner. If you never received a mailed notice, check your VIN and give recall number 12V527 to a franchised Jeep dealer when you schedule the repair.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/12V527000 |
|---|---|
| Jeep customer service | 1-800-247-9753 |
| NHTSA recall # | 12V527 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 12V527000 |
Source documents
-
Download Misc. Document (PDF) - Download Recall Investigation Document (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Owner Notification Letter (PDF)
- Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Owner Notice (PDF)
- Download Quarterly Report (PDF)
- Download Defect / Noncompliance Notice (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Recall Acknowledgement (PDF)
This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on June 2, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →