FCA US (formerly Chrysler, now owned by Stellantis), operating out of Auburn Hills, Michigan, announced a large voluntary safety recall on 158,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 48,000 Dodge Durango SUVs.

From June 2018 to July 2019, the models went to owners with a hydraulic brake control unit (anti-lock brake system module) that the automaker now calls “suspect.”

It seems that in some vehicles, drivers can shift from “Park” to “Drive” without depressing the brake pedal. This might cause the vehicle to roll unintentionally, resulting in an accident.

Further, the glitchy module might inadvertently turn the exterior brake lights on and shut off related safety features like ABS and Electronic Stability Control (ESC).

As you can imagine, brake lights that randomly turn on might confuse other drivers and cause accidents. Lacking ABS and ESC in wet, icy weather is certainly a safety issue, too.

In terms of warning signs drivers can look out for? There aren’t any.

FCA says there are no obvious warning signs that the brake module will glitch. Once failure occurs, though, drivers might notice the following:

• ABS, ESC, and red “Brake” warning indicator lights illuminate at vehicle start-up, indicating the systems are not available.
• Brake lights stay on after parking and/or turning off the vehicle.

FCA admits the fix isn’t available yet, either.

In the NHTSA’s Safety Report of the issue, FCA says it hasn’t specified a remedy yet.

The automaker plans to notify affected customers in early December. Maybe it’ll have a fix by then. Unfortunately, recalls often take months or even years to remedy, depending on the circumstances. In the meantime, then, these 206,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango owners are stuck with the problem.