Jeep Wrangler Recall 2013: Chrysler Recalls 630,000 Jeep SUVs Over Air Bag, Seat Belt, Transmission Problems

Two days after refusing a request by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, to recall 2.7 million Jeeps, automotive giant Chrysler has announced plans to recall 630,000 Jeep SUVs worldwide, USA Today reports.

According to documents posted on the NHTSA website on Thursday, Chrysler will recall 409,000 Compass and Patriot SUVs made between 2010 and 2012 across the globe in order to address issues relating to air bag deployment and seat belt pre-tensioners.

“The upgrade was deemed necessary after it was discovered that seat belt pre-tensioners and side-curtain air bags may not function properly during slow-developing rollovers,” the automaker said in a statement.

The recall will also affect 221,000 Jeep Wranglers with 3.6-liter engines and automatic transmissions made between 2012 and 2013, with concerns raised regarding transmission fluid leaks.

"A power-steering component may rub against the line and compromise transmission function," Chrysler said. "The issue was discovered during routine testing."

Chrysler spokesman Eric Mayne indicated on Thursday that no crashes or injuries have been reported as a result of either issue.

The recall will begin in July.

On Tuesday, Chrysler took the extremely rare step of refusing a request for a recall by the NHTSA. The NHTSA wanted the automaker to recall 2.7 million units of the 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty due to an unsafe fuel tank design. Chrysler rebuffed the request, stating that the data used by the NHTSA was flawed.

According to CNN, this is the first time an auto maker has challenged a recall request from the NHTSA since 1996, when Chrysler went head-to-head with the government agency over its seat belt system, eventually winning a federal court decision.

Chrysler said the recall of 630,000 Jeep SUVs is unrelated to its ongoing dispute with the NHTSA over the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty.