Stellantis recalls 375K PHEV Jeeps over battery fire risk

On the Dash:

• Stellantis is recalling 375,000 Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrids worldwide over battery fire risks.
• The defect, linked to Samsung SDI batteries, has caused 19 fires and one injury.
• Vehicles repaired under prior recalls will need additional fixes, NHTSA said.

Stellantis announced Tuesday that it is recalling approximately 375,000 plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee SUVs worldwide due to battery defects that have caused 19 reported fires and one injury. The automaker is urging owners to park their vehicles outdoors and avoid charging them until a repair is completed.

The recall applies to 2020–2025 Jeep Wrangler 4xe and 2022–2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe models. Stellantis said a remedy is imminent but has not yet provided a specific timeline. Of the vehicles affected, about 320,000 are located in the United States, according to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

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The automaker’s investigation, conducted jointly with battery supplier Samsung SDI, traced the fires to a manufacturing defect similar to one identified in an earlier recall. That previous recall, issued in 2024, affected roughly 154,000 plug-in hybrid Jeep models after reports of two injuries. NHTSA confirmed that even vehicles repaired under prior recalls in 2023 and 2024 will require additional repairs to fully address the issue.

Stellantis said it has documented nine fires involving vehicles that had received software updates under the 2024 recall, and 10 more fires in vehicles outside that recall’s scope. The affected batteries were produced by Samsung SDI, which identified separator damage within the battery cells as a likely contributing factor combined with other internal interactions.

Stellantis said it is working closely with regulators to finalize a repair process and will notify affected customers when replacement components and updates become available. Until then, owners are advised to follow the company’s safety recommendations to prevent potential fire hazards.