Jeep Wrangler 4xe Fires Spur a New Lawsuit
You want to keep rollin’, rollin’, rollin’, not burning! But the Jeep Wrangler 4xe allegedly has a problem with fires. Because plaintiffs claim that the Jeep Wrangler 4xe didn’t do enough to correct this flaming issue, it faces a lawsuit.
Lawsuit alert: The Jeep Wrangler 4xe has a fiery problem
Plaintiffs from 10 different states have banned together with a class-action lawsuit against Stellantis for allegedly selling Jeep Wrangler 4xe models despite knowing about a potential fire risk and not providing a sufficient fix.
Plus, Stellantis may have removed safety equipment that would have prevented the hybrid Jeep models from going up in flames.
Stellantis claims that it’s unaware of what causes the fires. Also, Stellantis shared that this isn’t true and that dealerships are providing necessary repairs.
However, it seems to be related to a defect with the high-voltage lithium-ion battery packs and the components used to people the vehicle forward in electric mode.
In November, Stellantis issued a recall for 45,275 Wrangler 4xe models due to a fire risk. Stellantis shared that the fix involved a software flash or replacing the battery pack. Also, Stellantis advised owners to avoid parking under or close to structures.
Plaintiffs claim that Stellatis knew about the fire risk well before the recall was made. Multiple other recalls have been made related to other fire risks too.
Stellantis began notifying owners at risk about this issue in March even though the recall was released back in November. Jeep is aware of eight Wrangler 4xe fires that occurred while the vehicles were turned off and parked.
The lawsuit claims that Samsung SDI batteries used in the battery pack have a history of issues, so Stellantis should have been aware of the potential risks.
The plaintiffs want restitution to include the price of the Wrangler 4xe models and the cost of related damages.
This could get expensive in a hurry. The entry-level 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe has an MSRP of $54,735. The $1,795 destination fee brings the total up to $56,530. Stay tuned for updates about this case!
