Jeep Recon Torn Apart in Viral Video. Jeep Calls It Destructive, Unprofessional

Update:The Middle Lane reached out to us and explained what happened: The video was taken down; we did not delete it. We are appealing Metas decision to remove it. Regarding their statement about the vehicle being pre-production, if true, wed love to see the final version of the car and hope the build quality is indeed improved. However, the vehicle on display at the auto show did not show any visible signs that it was pre-production, and it was neither locked nor roped off like other such vehicles, such as the Rivian R2 and Honda Prelude, which were also at the Auto Show. We were definitely surprised by how far that video reached; the story has certainly sparked a lot of debate! We regret that it has caused so much controversy, as our main goal was simply to make some videos sharing our thoughts on various cars. Secondly, I want to challenge the claims of destructive behavior, as the video clearly shows that the clips holding certain interior parts together were loose and the parts could easily pop out by hand without any damage. Jeep showcased the 2026 Recon at the Los Angeles Auto Show ahead of the electric off-roader’s launch next year. While events like this are an effective way to promote and generate buzz for a new product before it hits the market, this one unfortunately had the opposite effect. A viral video on social media points out apparent flaws in the build quality—but there’s more to the story than that. The Recon won’t go into series production at the Toluca Assembly Plant until early next year. As a result, what Jeep is showcasing in LA right now doesn’t fully represent what customers will receive when deliveries start in 2026. Since it’s a pre-production vehicle, it’s understandable that the fit and finish aren’t perfect. In an email sent to Motor1, Jeep spokesperson Alyse Nagode explained that the Recon on display is basically a show car meant to showcase the design rather than the build quality.: 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 were a production-ready Recon you could 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 excellent build quality, but criticizing a pre-production vehicle without first asking the manufacturer what’s happening is unprofessional. Literally tearing it apart is just rude and a guaranteed way to jeopardize any future that content creators hope to have in automotive journalism. Then again, one could argue that Jeep shouldn’t have rushed to bring the Recon to an auto show, knowing that people would inspect it and point out flaws. Maybe it would have been better to skip the show altogether and wait until series production to show it to the public. Its 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 understand the differences between various stages of development. The average consumer does not, and there is always a risk that a negative first impression could harm the product’s commercial success. This is especially true in the age of social media, where videos pointing out flaws can quickly go viral.