Jeep is facing legal action in the U.S. District Court in Detroit, accused of inadequately addressing a fire risk issue with the Wrangler 4xe model.
The lawsuit, which proposes a class-action complaint, involves nine plaintiffs from seven states, all owners of Wrangler 4xe vehicles. It alleges that the fire hazard stems from the lithium-ion battery packs in the vehicle. While the plaintiffs assert that the manufacturer has not provided a remedy for the defect, Stellantis refutes this claim, stating that dealers are currently undertaking necessary repairs.
According to the suit, although Stellantis contends that the exact cause of the fires remains unknown, the defect is believed to be linked to the vehicles' high-voltage lithium-ion battery packs and associated components used during electric mode operation.
In November, Stellantis disclosed a fire risk associated with the Wrangler 4xe, prompting a recall of 32,125 units in the United States, 3,856 in Canada, and an additional 9,294 units elsewhere. The company outlined that the remedy would involve either a software update or, in cases where a specific error code was detected, the complete replacement of the battery pack at no cost. Notably, all reported vehicle fires occurred when the cars were parked and turned off.
According to a report by The Detroit News on February 22, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated that the company would begin notifying dealers of the remedy implementation as of the prior week, with owners expected to be informed starting March 7.
In addition to the claim that Stellantis has not adequately addressed the issue, the lawsuit suggests that the automaker should have been aware of potential defects due to a "history of issues" associated with the Samsung SDI batteries used in the battery pack. The plaintiffs seek restitution, including reimbursement for the purchase price of their Jeeps, as well as monetary damages.