10/07/2024
Hybrid electric Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee “park outside” recall for fire risk
Among the millions of electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles now on the nation’s roadways, high-voltage battery fires are still relatively rare. Nevertheless, the fire service knows how dangerous, destructive, and resource-intensive these fires can be when they do happen. The following safety information is important for situational awareness and should be shared widely.
Chrysler issued a recall on Sept. 27 (NHTSA recall numbers 24V-720 and 24E-080) for more than 154,000 Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) due to a risk of fire. The high voltage battery may fail internally and lead to a vehicle fire while parked or driving.
The recall affects the following models:
• 2020-2024 Jeep Wrangler PHEVs (118,230 potentially impacted units).
• 2022-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee PHEVs (36,802 potentially impacted units).
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) posted a consumer alert on Oct. 1, to amplify the manufacturer’s safety guidance to vehicle owners:
• Park your vehicles outside and away from structures and other vehicles until your vehicle has been remedied.
• Do not charge unrepaired vehicles, because the risk of fire is higher in a charged battery and the risk of fire is reduced when the battery is depleted.
Owners of affected vehicles can expect to be notified by mail starting Oct. 17 that they need to have their vehicle serviced to remedy the issue. The root cause of these fires is still being investigated but is thought to be due to separator damage combined with other complex interactions within the battery cell.
Chrysler issued a similar recall in November 2023 for 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles (NHTSA ID 23V-787). Chrysler provided a remedy for this issue in February 2024 (Remedy B9A), which instructed dealers to perform a software flash on the battery and replace the high voltage battery pack if needed.
However, NHTSA’s Safety Recall Report for the Sept. 27, 2024, recall notes that, from June 2024 to July 2024, Chrysler received three reports of fires originating in the high voltage battery in Jeep Wrangler PHEVs which had already received the B9A remedy software from the 2023 recall. Chrysler then determined that the software update from last year’s B9A remedy is ineffective at detecting certain abnormalities within the high voltage battery which may lead to a fire.
This means that, even if owners of 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler PHEVs had their vehicles serviced with the B9A remedy as recently as a few months ago, they may still need to have their vehicles serviced under this latest recall.
Information on the Sept. 27, 2024, recall and related Nov. 22, 2023, recall can be accessed at this link on NHTSA.gov: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=24V720,24E080,23V787,23E090
Please share the safety information in NHTSA’s Oct. 1 Consumer Alert widely and encourage the public to look into whether their vehicle has been impacted by any recalls. Vehicle owners can go to NHTSA.gov/recalls and enter their vehicle’s information to find out if their vehicle is currently affected. They can also download the NHTSA’s SaferCar app to stay informed on current recalls.
(Source: NHTSA)
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