Software Glitches Sidetrack New Jeep Renegade

The issues are similar to those that postponed last year's launch of the larger Jeep Cherokee by two months, CEO Sergio Marchionne told Automotive News at an industry event. Referring to the situation as a "very bad engineering day," Marchionne said a combination of factors were conspiring against the vehicle.

Initial speculation indicated the problem likely was the same software glitch that plagued the Cherokee's 9-speed automatic transmission, which is also used in the subcompact Renegade. A company source subsequently said the Renegade's problem isn't transmission related, but declined to elaborate.

Marchionne expects the affected models to arrive at dealerships by mid-June. Demand for the new Renegade has been strong since it was launched two months ago, with sales already outpacing those of the more established Jeep Compass.