Brand-New Off-Road SUV Recalled for Self-Opening Doors—the Kind You Don't Want
This SUV’s faulty buttons don’t allow the doors to close in the first place, lending to potentially dangerous incidents.
More than 7,000 Ineos Grenadier models built between July 6, 2023 and April 19, 2024 are being recalled due to doors that can suddenly swing open while driving. We don’t need to explain all the reasons why that’s a very bad thing, so good on Ineos and NHTSA for calling the cars back to get repaired.
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As for the cause of the issue, according to a report from CarScoops Ineos says the root of the problem is a faulty door button mechanism. The automaker suspects that those mechanisms didn’t get enough grease during manufacturing. The lack of grease causes the buttons to get stuck, preventing the door latches from engaging when the door is shut. So, the doors aren’t becoming unlocked because they were never locked in the first place, and doors flying open while you're driving is no good.
We think the Ineos Grenadier is a box of fun on wheels, but it certainly isn’t the most well put-together SUV we’ve ever driven, so this news isn't entirely surprising. When the Grenadier was up for SUV of the year many of our panelists found the super loose steering unsuitable for everyday driving. While the resto-mod styling is delightfully nostalgic, we also couldn’t ignore the fact that the vehicle looks like it was pieced together from spare parts. We found that charming, but figured it could quickly wear thin.
If you’ve purchased a Grenadier, Ineos says you should be notified if your vehicle is effected by March 31, 2025. Take the notice to your dealer to get the door fixed for free and a medal of bravery for being a Grenadier owner. Okay, that last part was a joke but seriously take your Grenadier in if you suspect it has this issue, lest your massive door catches air during your next excursion.
Andrew Beckford’s passion for cars started as a middle schooler when his friend Richie explained how an internal combustion engine works. He was bitten by the bug and the rest, as they say, is history. He dug deep into the tuner scene and eventually wrote for Turbo Magazine, Import Tuner, Super Street. He covered car shows, feature builds, and reviewed racing games for those magazines in addition to covering motorsports including Formula Drift, Indy Car, and F1 for his personal blog. Eventually Beckford joined MotorTrend to cover the daily automotive news beat. Besides being a gearhead, Beckford has been a gamer since the ’80s and is a huge fan of the arcade racing games of the ’90s like Daytona USA, SEGA Rally, and Ridge Racer. Beckford’s a movie buff as well, especially comic book films from DC and Marvel. When car culture crosses over with gaming and entertainment, rest assured Beckford is aware of it. In addition to serving as a consultant on a “triple A” racing titles, he’s reviewed major racing games such as Forza Motorsport, Need for Speed, Gran Turismo, F1, and more. He’s also interviewed blockbuster directors including Steven Caple Jr. (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) and Neill Blomkamp (Gran Turismo). His biggest profile to date was with Robert Downey Jr. on his love affair with cars and his show Downey’s Dream Cars on MAX. Beckford’s profile of Downey Jr. was the first print cover story written by an African American in MotorTrend’s history. Along with KJ Jones, Andrew Beckford also heads up MotorTrend’s celebration of Black History Month by spotlighting diverse voices in the automotive industry and motorsports. Beckford’s first car was a 1982 Nissan Stanza affectionately named “Stanley” by his late mother.
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