Lawsuit targets Stellantis over Wrangler plug-in hybrid fire risk

Jeep sold plug-in hybrid Wranglers "prone to catching fire and exploding" and hasn't resolved the issue for owners, a federal lawsuit filed this week alleges, though Stellantis NV says that's not accurate as it's now able to start fixing the battery-related problem.

The suit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Detroit names nine plaintiffs across seven states who acquired the Wrangler 4xe model in recent years, and claims that FCA US LLC, the U.S. division of Stellantis NV, "has not yet corrected the problem and did nothing to warn owners and lessees until very recently."

But Stellantis says it quickly notified the public and media about the fire risk recall for certain 2021-2024 Wrangler 4xe models last November, and dealers are able to make the repair, while customers are now being notified that the repair is available.

"We have not been served with this action," a Stellantis statement on the lawsuit said Tuesday afternoon. "We are currently servicing vehicles as the remedy is now available. Affected customers are being advised accordingly."

The suit against Stellantis, a company that was formed in 2021 from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA, is a proposed class-action complaint.

"While FCA contends that the root cause of the fires is unknown, alarmingly to consumers, it appears virtually certain that the defect is connected to the vehicles’ high-voltage lithium-ion battery packs and related components used to propel the vehicles when they are operating in electric mode," the suit says.

In November, Stellantis announced it was recalling 32,125 of the plug-in hybrid SUVs related to a potential fire risk. It said a routine review had uncovered eight vehicle fires, which occurred when the cars were parked and turned off, and while six of them were charging, though it did not know of any injuries.

The announcement said that the fix would eventually involve a "software flash," or possibly a battery pack replacement. It estimated just 1% of the recalled cars actually had the defect that could cause the blazes.

"The vehicles may be driven," that November recall notice said. "However, the Company is advising owners to refrain from recharging these hybrid vehicles, and to park them away from structures and other vehicles, until they are remedied."

The lawsuit claims that FCA has not yet offered any fix for the defect, but Stellantis said Tuesday that dealers are now able to make the needed repairs. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report dated Feb. 22 said FCA would begin notifying dealers about the fix as of last week, and notifications would start being sent to owners March 7.

The company should have known about a possible vehicle defect before the vehicles went to market, the suit says, given the Samsung SDI America Inc. batteries had what attorneys characterized as a "history of issues" including related to prior fire-risk recalls from Ford Motor Co. and BMW AG. A Samsung spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday afternoon. The suit alleges FCA pre-launch stress and durability testing should've caught potential issues with the battery packs.

The court papers also say the company hasn't specified to the Wrangler 4xe owners what is considered a "safe" distance to park the vehicle, or what to do if they don't have any area that is far from structures or other cars.

Not being able to charge the battery, the suit adds, "eliminates the benefits of having a hybrid vehicle."

Lawyers for the plaintiffs — who hail from Arizona, California, Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas — wrote that all of the Wrangler owners had conducted extensive research on the vehicles before buying them and were sure the model offered a safe, lower-emissions option, despite having a higher price tag than a standard gas-powered Wrangler.

The plaintiffs are seeking certification of a class action, and are asking for restitution to include the purchase price of their Wranglers and other monetary damages.