Jeep has confirmed that the offroad-ready Grand Cherokee Trailhawk will return later this year. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ Porsche deliveries continued to slump, sliding 15 percent to 61.000 vehicles in the first three months of 2026 with sharp declines in its key markets, China and the United States. More at ET Auto.
+ Hyundai is recalling 294,128 vehicles in the U.S. due to a defect that could cause seat belt anchors to detach, says the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More at U.S. News & World Report.
+ The online automotive marketplace Cars.com is in increasing its stock buybacks and reducing its workforce by 11 percent as part of an effort to streamline operations and control costs. More at CBT News.
+ Cadillac Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez, a series veteran, says midfield performances are “not too far away” for the team in its inaugural season, citing “encouraging signs.” More at Racer.
+ Chrysler CEO Matt McAlear says there’s a resurgence in the minivan market as the brand introduced a new premium trim for the Pacifica called the Pinnacle, loaded with luxury features. More at CNBC.
+ U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says Chinese cars will struggle to get a foothold in the United States both due to “natural market forces” and government regulations. More at The Detroit News.
+ Waymo announced it will be working with the navigation app Waze to use its fleet of robotaxis to search for potholes and other obstructions and report them to the user network. More at Autoweek.
+ Volkswagen has not ruled out launching a pickup truck for the U.S. market, but says the idea remains in the early stages of evaluation rather than in active development. More at Autoblog.
+ Jeep has confirmed the offroad-capable Trailhawk will finally rejoin the Grand Cherokee lineup sometime later this year in its traditional form, most likely as a 2027 model. More at Car and Driver.
+ Bob Power, father of two-time IndyCar champion Will Power, was uninjured after confronting an attempted carjacker near his home in Toowamba, Queensland, Australia. More at Motorsport.com.
Photo courtesy of Stellantis. .
Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from April 10 here.
Join Mac’s Motor City Garage on Facebook and X to receive notices when every new story is published.
NHTSA has nothing available online concerning recall 26V218000 yet.
From a Hyundai dealer posted on Reddit: ”The issue stems from a damaged snap-on anchor in the front seat belt system. The seat belt may not be securely attached to the seat frame. This can compromise how the seat belt functions in an accident. The defect may not always be visible during normal use. Hyundai identified that: The anchor connection may fail under stress This could reduce occupant protection in a collision. At this time: Hyundai has received 6 reports in the U.S. No injuries, crashes, or fatalities have been confirmed”.
Snap on on seat belt anchors, eh?Acording to Mr. Internet, this Hyundai kindergarten seat‑belt‑anchor defect is extremely serious, but it only increases risk in a crash. This is the “key difference” according to NHTSA. Any seat‑belt anchor defect does not cause fires, does not cause sudden loss of control, does not cause the vehicle to become unsafe while parked, does not injure occupants during normal driving buy only increases injury risk if a crash occurs. That makes it a “serious” safety recall:, but not an “immediate hazard” recall. The
NHTSA only escalates to “Do Not Drive” when the vehicle is unsafe “right now”, even without the crash…
I have just seen images of the subject snap-on anchors and seat frames in question, you do not want to know. Unfortunately there is no industry‑wide or online database that categorizes seat‑belt anchor designs by type such as bolt‑on, snap‑on, welded, integrated or other. NHTSA tracks defects, not designs. Manufacturers do not publish anchor design type, supplier part numbers, installation method or model‑wide anchor architectures. So unless a defect determination triggers a safety recall, seat belt anchor designs never become public…