Jeep has launched a recall campaign to fix a problem it uncovered with the third-generation Wrangler, but a particularly specialized group of Jeeps are affected by the issue. The recall applies exclusively to the right-hand drive off-roaders the company made for the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Jeep manufactured a right-hand drive Wrangler between the 2011 and 2018 model years, according to Roadshow, and it sold them to USPS, who used the SUVs to deliver mail in rural parts of America. The recall notice sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explains the seatbelt buckle on the driver's side (that is, where the front passenger sits in a standard, American-spec Wrangler) can become detached from the body due to excessive wear and tear.
The fix is simple: Post offices that have Wranglers in their fleet will need to stop by their nearest Jeep dealer and get a new seatbelt buckle installed free of charge. The recall covers 11,463 vehicles, though Jeep pointed out only about 1% of them truly need a new buckle.
Left-hand drive examples aren't included in the recall even though the seatbelt buckle is the same regardless of which side of the dashboard the steering wheel sticks out from. It sounds like buckling and unbuckling the seat belt dozens of times each day, as a working postal carrier is prone to do, is what wears out the buckle. Motorists who get in and out of their Wrangler on a regular basis would do well to check the condition of their buckle every now and then, and visit a dealership if something feels loose or broken.
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