Stellantis Recalls 375,000 Jeep SUVs Over Battery Fire Risk

WASHINGTON, Nov 4 (Reuters) – Stellantis announced a recall of 375,000 plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee SUVs worldwide due to potential battery failures that have led to 19 reports of fires. The automaker advised owners to park their vehicles outside and refrain from charging until a solution is provided.

The recall affects certain model-year 2020 through 2025 Jeep Wrangler 4xe and 2022-2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe SUVs. Stellantis emphasized that the recall remedy will be available soon, but in the meantime, owners must take precautions to minimize fire risks.

According to Stellantis, around 320,000 of the recalled vehicles are located in the United States. The company reported one injury related to the fires linked to the battery issue, which was produced by Samsung SDI. An internal investigation indicated that an earlier fire this year was caused by the same defect, prompting a previous recall of 154,000 Jeep plug-in hybrids.

Stellantis noted that reports included nine fires from vehicles with the updated software related to the 2024 recall and ten fires from batteries not covered by that prior recall. Samsung SDI has identified separator damage as a likely cause of these issues.

Vehicles that had repairs done during recalls in 2023 and 2024 will also require a fix again, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). As part of the company’s response, Stellantis is reaching out to affected owners to discuss scheduling service appointments for the necessary repairs.

As a further context, Stellantis had recently recalled over 298,000 vehicles in October due to another safety concern involving a potential rollaway risk.