Jeep is speaking out against influencers who tore apart the interior of its newest model, the Recon, and ridiculed it in a viral video from the Los Angeles Auto Show, which opened its doors last week.
In a video that garnered millions of views across social media platforms, LA-based content creators under the name The Middle Lane open the video saying, “Oh, we disassembled the Jeep. Oh, dear,” while peeling a plastic panel off the center console of the new Recon.
Throughout the video, the creators criticize the build quality of the vehicle, saying it is not worth its sticker price of $65,000. They point out gaps in the interior panels and shake parts of the vehicle. The Recon, a fully electric off-roader, was revealed by Jeep on Nov. 18 and made its public debut at the LA Auto Show.
Stellantis is making clear the automaker disapproves of the stunt.
“The actions taken to disassemble the all-new Jeep Recon on display at the LA Auto Show were both destructive and unprofessional,” spokesperson Kaileen Connelly said in an emailed statement to the Detroit Free Press.
The company said that preproduction models are assembled by hand, not constructed in the same fashion as the consumer-ready vehicle, which goes on sale in 2026.
“The vehicle in question is a preproduction 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 statement said.
The video was published across The Middle Lane’s social media channels. The Middle Lane was founded by Luke Miani, who also creates technology-related videos under his own name on YouTube.
The video of the Recon has since been deleted on YouTube and Instagram, but remained published on TikTok as of late Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Miani told the Free Press that Meta took down the video, not him. He is appealing the decision.
“I want to push back on the claims of ‘destructive’ conduct as the video clearly shows the clips holding certain interior parts together were loose and the parts easily pop out by hand without damage,” Miani added.
Miani said that if the Recon on display was a preproduction model, he would “love to see the final version of the car and hope that the build quality is indeed improved,” adding that other pre-production vehicles at the Auto Show were cordoned off, but not the Recon, which was unlocked and not roped off.
“We were certainly surprised by the reach that video had, the story has definitely sparked quite the debate! We regret that so much controversy has come of it, as we really just wanted to make some videos showing our thoughts on many different cars,” Miani said.
This story has been updated with new information
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Liam Rappleye covers Stellantis and the UAW for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: LRappleye@freepress.com.

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