Jeep is recalling over 150,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) in the US for posing a fire risk while either parked or driven, and that includes the Grand Cherokee 4xe that’s also sold here. CarExpert has contacted Jeep Australia to confirm whether Australian-market vehicles are affected and whether a recall is forthcoming in our market. A notice published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists 35,802 Grand Cherokee 4xes as being included in the recall, along with 118,230 examples of the Wrangler 4xe not sold here.
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“Owners should park their vehicles outside and away from structures and other vehicles until their vehicle has been remedied,” reads the NHTSA’s recall notice. “In addition, owners should 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. “There have been two alleged injuries reported to date.
The affected vehicles may have been built with a high voltage battery that may fail internally.” Jeep dealers will update the battery pack control module software to fix the issue, though the recall notice says dealers may even entirely replace the high-voltage battery. The Wrangler 4xe is consistently one of the best-selling PHEVs in the US, but in Australia the Grand Cherokee 4xe is a niche model within.
