A defective steel wheel could crack and separate without warning. Jeep advises affected owners not to drive their Wrangler. Dealers will inspect and replace the wheel if necessary. Cars break. Even tough cars break. Jeeps, built for rough use and routinely subjected to abuse, break plenty. Off-road trails and hardcore driving can snap U-joints, steering components, and even axles. What Jeep owners don’t expect is a wheel cracking under everyday use, least of all a steel one. Stellantis says it can happen, and 641 owners are now being told to stop driving. The issue affects Wranglers and Gladiators built between November 10 and November 16, 2025, equipped with a specific steel wheel supplied by Maxion Wheels. According to documents filed with the NHTSA, the wheel may have been produced with a “thin wall condition.” Read: Jeep’s Cherokee Recall Brings Back A Problem Owners Thought Was Gone If the wheel develops a crack and eventually separates, the driver could suddenly lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. FCA notes there are no warning signs that the wheel could be about to fail. As of June 24, 2026, the company said it had received no warranty claims, customer assistance reports, field reports, crashes, or injuries related to the defect in any market. Despite that, and to Jeep’s credit, FCA’s Vehicle Regulations Committee determined on July 9, 2026, that the condition constitutes a safety defect requiring a recall. The remedy is straightforward. Dealers will inspect the steel wheel and replace it if necessary. Interestingly, FCA will also replace the valve stem as part of the repair. The important point for Jeep owners currently is to stop driving if they’re riding on the wheels in question. Notably, FCA went as far as to say that owners should park “outside.” It’s unclear why that’s the case, but hey, better safe than sorry. Dealers will be notified beginning July 23, 2026, while owner notification letters are scheduled to begin mailing on September 4, 2026. Affected VINs will become searchable through NHTSA’s recall database starting July 23. Photos: Jeep