Together with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the automaker Stellantis has announced the recall of more than 320,000 plug-in hybrid SUVs in the United States and Canada. This recall affects the Jeep brand, specifically the 2020-2025 Jeep Wrangler 4xe and the 2022-2026 Grand Cherokee 4xe models, which a few months ago were found to have a defect in the high-voltage battery pack. Due to the potential fire risk, the NHTSA has advised owners to park the vehicle outdoors and avoid charging it.
This defect was reported in September, and an attempt was made to resolve it with a software update or a full battery pack replacement. However, these measures proved ineffective. A definitive solution has not yet been provided, but it is expected soon, especially after reports of one injury and 19 fires related to this defect.Although Jeep is not currently facing any legal action over this massive recall, it is facing a class-action lawsuit for defects in its 2020-2024 Jeep Wrangler, 2021-2023 Jeep Gladiator, and 2022-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee models.
Stellantis masive recall
This is not the first massive recall announced this year by the automotive manufacturer Stellantis, nor is it the first one affecting the Jeep brand and its models. The latest announcement, made jointly with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has reported the recall of over 320,000 plug-in hybrid SUVs in the United States and Canada. Specifically, it will affect the 2020 to 2025 Jeep Wrangler 4xe and the 2022 to 2026 Grand Cherokee 4xe models.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that, following an internal review, a potential risk was identified in the high-voltage battery pack. This risk is due to a defect in the lithium-ion cells of the battery pack, which could cause a fire whether the vehicle is in motion or parked.According to the NHTSA, one of the components found within lithium-ion cells could be the cause of this failure, potentially causing a short circuit due to damage to the separator. This leads to thermal leaks, which is highly dangerous, as the battery burns uncontrollably.
Recommendations for affected owners
The NHTSA advised owners to park their vehicles outdoors and away from structures to avoid greater harm in case of fire. It is recommended that this measure be taken until the defect that caused the massive recall is resolved. Additionally, it is advised not to charge the vehicle’s batteries, as stated in the recall notice: “The risk of fire may be higher with a charged battery than with a depleted one”.
As we have mentioned, this recall is not new, since back in September Stellantis tried to address the problem by replacing the entire battery pack and through a software update. However, the NHTSA reported that these measures were not effective and that the company is still seeking a definitive solution, which is expected to be announced soon.
How to get more information?
Those affected by this massive recall can obtain more information through the official website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), or by contacting Stellantis directly. Top Class Actions has reported that Jeep is not facing any class-action lawsuits at the moment, but they do report that Stellantis has received reports of one injury and 19 fires related to the defect prompting this recall.