Jeep is under fire for intrusive advertising, as Grand Cherokee drivers report being urged to buy a new SUV right from their vehicle’s infotainment screen.
Owners of 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee models have run into an unexpected issue: instead of useful alerts, their infotainment screens began displaying ads for other Jeep vehicles. According to a report from Carscoops, some drivers were even offered a $1,500 “loyalty bonus” toward the purchase of a new Jeep — all while sitting behind the wheel of the one they already own.
Following a wave of complaints, the company attributed the situation to a “temporary software glitch.” A Jeep spokesperson said the bug interfered with the feature that allows users to immediately opt out of promotional messages. Under normal circumstances, the automaker claims drivers can disable these notifications on the spot.
Still, owners were puzzled by the most recent ad, which instructed them to call a designated phone number — hardly a quick way to halt marketing messages. To make matters stranger, that number turned out to be shared across several brands under the same corporate umbrella, including Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat. Representatives on that line handle subscription and pricing inquiries, not requests to turn off in-car advertising.