Jaguar Land Rover North America (JLR NA) is recalling ~21,000 model-year 2021-2025 model Range Rover Evoque vehicles. The Hungarian-made passenger air bag may tear during deployment.
“The basis of the recall population is all Land Rover Range Rover Evoque vehicles from 2021 Model Year up until the introduction of a modified airbag specification in production during 2025 Model Year. A concern has been identified on 2021 – 2024 and certain 2025 Model Year Range Rover Evoque vehicles where, during a passenger airbag deployment, the airbag may tear as a result of improper folding of the airbag during the airbag assembly process [at the Halewood UK plant- AutoCrat],” JLR NA told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the mandatory recall filing made public by NHTSA this morning.
Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge as required by long-standing U.S. safety regulation. Notifications to dealers will occur on 21 July 2025. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on or before 29 August 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover’s customer service at 800 637-6837. Land Rover’s number for this recall is N945.
Chronology
- Following reports from the manufacturer and assembler of the fascia assembly of conformity testing of the fascia and abnormal passenger airbag deployments, a Product Safety and Compliance Committee (PSCC) investigation was opened in May 2023. The PSCC engaged a cross functional team to investigate the reasons for the abnormal passenger airbag deployment.
- The team regularly reported the progress of the investigation to the PSCC through the remainder of 2023. This extended to JLR, airbag supplier and fascia supplier investigations which sought to understand variables included in testing methods and factors that influence the passenger airbag deployment. During this period, the status of this matter and progress of the investigation was reviewed at the PSCC.
- During Q1 2024, the investigating team continued to undertake evaluations, investigations and testing to understand what could influence the deployment of the airbag including temperature influence on the fascia topper, airbag inflator and related interfacing components. The evidence gathered from these tests and evaluations was reviewed and discussed at PSCC to understand if there was any evidence that shows the presence of a defect affecting the operation of the airbag and possibly causing a risk to safety, none were found. The testing and engineering evaluations continued.
- More airbag supplier reviews were undertaken during Q2 2024 seeking to establish the controls in place for the assembly of the airbag. In addition, further detailed reviews of the facia supplier testing were started. The fascia supplier testing process was reviewed in detail as well as controls in place to regulate test temperatures, test fixtures and set-up.
- Over the course of Q3 2024, an engineering hypothesis relating to the influence of temperature on the behavior of the airbag deployment through the fascia was explored with in-vehicle temperatures over the course of a day where solar load significantly increases vehicle temperature. The findings of this were reviewed through PSCC.
- In Q4 2024, the credibility of the fascia supplier testing capability was peer reviewed and, in order to verify fascia supplier testing completed, a set of independent tests were started with controls on test chamber temperature and component temperature robustly set-up.
- The status of the independent test program was reviewed at PSCC in April 2025 with 51% of required tests completed and an expectation that the balance of testing would conclude in May 2025. In addition to the independent test program, field samples of undeployed airbag modules were obtained to conduct assessment of the airbag folding condition.
- These field samples were inspected in June 2025 and revealed that the airbag material exhibited variability in the folds of the airbag. The variability was assessed against the deployment testing results and correlation of the impact of fold variability was defined as a likely contribution to the reason for abnormal test outcomes.
- A JLR Senior Leadership review of this matter was undertaken on 30 June 2025. Following this, on 30 June 2025 a Recall Determination Committee was convened, and it was decided that the investigation has revealed an unreasonable safety risk with variability of the fold of the airbag material, and it was instructed that a safety recall be conducted to remedy the issue.
- There have been no reported accidents, injuries or fires as a result of this concern. JLR has not received any claims or field reports in the US related to this issue.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
JLR NA Land Rover Evoque Passenger Airbag Recall
Jaguar Land Rover North America (JLR NA) is recalling ~21,000 model-year 2021-2025 model Range Rover Evoque vehicles. The Hungarian-made passenger air bag may tear during deployment.
“The basis of the recall population is all Land Rover Range Rover Evoque vehicles from 2021 Model Year up until the introduction of a modified airbag specification in production during 2025 Model Year. A concern has been identified on 2021 – 2024 and certain 2025 Model Year Range Rover Evoque vehicles where, during a passenger airbag deployment, the airbag may tear as a result of improper folding of the airbag during the airbag assembly process [at the Halewood UK plant- AutoCrat],” JLR NA told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the mandatory recall filing made public by NHTSA this morning.
Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge as required by long-standing U.S. safety regulation. Notifications to dealers will occur on 21 July 2025. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on or before 29 August 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover’s customer service at 800 637-6837. Land Rover’s number for this recall is N945.
Chronology
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.