Facing Fire Risk Recall, Jeep Says Park Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe Plug-In Hybrid SUVs Outside
The progressive plug-in hybrid SUVs from Stellantis have been recalled after multiple vehicle fires have been reported.
The hits keep coming for Stellantis, the parent conglomerate that currently owns the Jeep brand: inventories are high, demand is slipping, and people are seeking more affordable vehicles, and the industry is undergoing a seismic shift in priorities and supplies, leading Stellantis to reportedly be seeking a replacement for its Chief Executive Officer, Carlos Tavares. Now, a recall has been announced for one of its rare bright spots, the plug-in hybrids that have powered Jeep to the top of the plug-in sales charts in America. More than 194,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles the company has produced over the past few years, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe and the newer Jeep Wrangler 4xe off-road SUVs, are now facing recall.
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Stellantis and Jeep claim the vehicles pose a potential fire risk, with a "regular" internal company review revealing at least 13 vehicle fires related to the recall so far, and that as many as 5 percent (nearly 10,000 vehicles) of produced 4xe plug-in hybrid SUVs could be impacted by the defect or fire cause, which has not been explicitly described yet.
The company says "certain" 2020–2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe and 2022–2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe SUVs are at risk; the available Jeep Renegade 4xe SUV in the UK market was not mentioned in the recall announcement. For the U.S., these plug-in hybrids, dubbed "4xe" vehicles, are engineered with a small battery pack and e-motors coupled to a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder gas engine.
Jeep claims the noted fires occurred while the vehicles were turned off and parked, and now encourages owners of 4xe plug-in hybrid models to park them outside and away from flammable materials and structures until further notice. The automaker also advises that owners or operators do not recharge the battery packs on the plug-in hybrid models until further notice as well, as a higher state of charge, or the charging process, could be correlated to the fire risk.
As mentioned before, the explicit cause of the fires has not been announced, and there's no described remedy to fix whatever the potential issue or issues could be just yet. Owners will be notified when a remedy is ready and they'll be able to schedule service for repairs. Owners can call 1-800-853-1403 or visit mopar.com/recalls to confirm if their VIN is included and for more details.
Justin Westbrook eventually began writing about new cars in college after starting an obsessive action movie blog. That developed into a career covering news, reviews, motorsports, and a further obsession with car culture and the next-gen technology and design styles that are underway, transforming the automotive industry as we know it.
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