Jeep has the 2026 Recon at the Los Angeles Auto Show ahead of the electric off-roader’s launch next year. While events like these are an efficient way to spread the word and advertise a new product before it goes on sale, this one unfortunately backfired. A viral video on social media highlights apparent flaws in build quality—but there’s more to the story than that.
The Recon won’t enter series production at the Toluca Assembly Plant until early next year. Consequently, what Jeep is showing off in LA right now isn’t entirely representative of what customers will get when deliveries begin in 2026. Because it’s a pre-production vehicle, it makes sense that the fit and finish aren’t up to snuff.
In an email sent to Motor1, Jeep spokesperson Alyse Nagode explained that the Recon on display is essentially a show car meant to illustrate the design rather than the build quality:
‘The actions taken to disassemble the all-new Jeep Recon on display at the LA Auto Show were both destructive and unprofessional. The vehicle in question is a pre‑production show car, built exclusively for reveals and events to highlight the Design inspiration for the final product. These prototype units are typically hand-built and not intended to demonstrate final production, durability, quality, or integrity of materials. The final production version will embody the uncompromising capability and authenticity Jeep owners expect and love.’
To varying degrees, pre-production cars are always a diamond in the rough. At this early stage, judging a vehicle by its panel gaps or flimsy trim pieces isn’t fair. Even if it had been a production-ready Recon you’d find at a Jeep dealer, that’s not how you treat a car you don’t own. It borders on vandalism.
Jeep may not be known for stellar build quality, but bashing a pre-production vehicle without first asking the manufacturer what’s going on is unprofessional. Literally tearing it apart is simply rude and a surefire way to jeopardize any future that content creators hope to have in automotive journalism.
Then again, one could argue Jeep shouldn’t have rushed to bring the Recon to an auto show, knowing people would poke around and point out flaws. Maybe it would’ve been better to skip the show altogether and wait for series production before showing it to the public. It’s one thing to give journalists early access to a car and another to display an unfinished product to a general audience that may not fully understand what a demo car represents.
Professionals who review cars for a living know the differences between various development stages. The average showgoer does not, and there’s always a risk that a negative first impression will hurt the product’s commercial prospects. That’s especially true in the age of social media, where videos highlighting flaws tend to go viral.
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Source: Jeep
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