Jeep has just announced a recall of 63,000 Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrids. Some drivers have experienced power unexpectedly shutting off, with two accidents and one injury reported. The recall is for 2021 to 2023 Wrangler 4xe models. Since the beginning of November, Jeep says it is aware of 112 customer assistance records, 196 warranty claims, 65 field reports, two accidents, and one potential injury associated with the software problem. 

Why did Jeep issue the Wrangler 4xe recall?

The reason for the unexpected shutting off of the power is because of communication issues causing false diagnostic actions taken by the electronic system, according to the documents provided. Jeep became aware of the issue back in September 2021. It then analyzed the reports of stalling combined with vehicle histories to determine the problem. 

The fix is updating the codes in the calibration software for the Transmission Control Module, Hybrid Control Processor, and Auxiliary Hybrid Control Processor. This software update was already applied to the 2023 Wrangler 4xe models, so they are not involved in this recall campaign. Parent company Stellantis says that previous repair costs related to the stalling issue will be covered under the recall. Owners need to present repair receipts to Jeep to recover repair costs. 

Is this the first Jeep Wrangler 4xe recall?

This is not the first recall for Jeep’s Wrangler 4xe. In October Jeep recalled 13,722 4xes because of incorrectly attached fuses for the battery. These 200-amp fuses can create higher temperatures, which can lead to failures. The failure caused similar stalling problems to this latest recall. There have been no reports of heat-related fires occurring.

Late in December 2021, another 4xe recall involved 2022 models. In an odd occurrence, 4xes built with the digital instrument cluster could experience odometer issues. In some cases, odometers stopped at 13,342 miles. The issue was first noticed at the Wrangler’s assembly line during software checks. A software update took place at that time. Now, it appears there were still 2,900 hybrid Jeeps having the issue.

Jeep was concerned that without the odometer functioning, owners would miss critical maintenance notices. Without proper maintenance, some components could fail, which could potentially cause various components to fail. The fix is replacing the gauge clusters. Jeep will reimburse owners who have already paid for gauge cluster replacements.

When will owners be notified?

So this latest recall today is the third affecting electronics software in the 4xe. The hybrid Jeep made its debut in September 2020. A class-action lawsuit over these earlier software issues was filed in September 2021, according to classaction.org.

In January 2023, owners will receive notification letters. If they have questions they can contact Customer Service at 800-853-1403. They can also call the NHTSA Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236, or go to the NHTSA website.