Jeep owner Stellantis warns of fire risk in 200,000 plug-in hybrid SUVs
Recalls roughly 154,000 late-model Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe SUVs
Detroit: Stellantis NV warned that nearly 200,000 plug-in hybrid Jeep SUVs worldwide may be at risk of catching fire.
The carmaker is recalling roughly 154,000 late-model Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe SUVs in the US over the flaw, the automaker said in a statement on Monday. An estimated 14,038 vehicles in Canada are also affected, plus 673 in Mexico and 25,502 outside North America.
The recall is the latest blow to an automaker struggling with sliding sales, a declining stock and unrest among dealers and unions. Stellantis shares tumbled after it slashed its 2024 financial forecasts earlier on Monday. The stock fell as much as 14% as of 3:36 p.m. in New York, its largest intraday drop in more than four years.
Stellantis said drivers should avoid recharging the plug-in hybrids because "vehicle risk is reduced when the battery charge level is depleted. Drivers should also park away from other vehicles and structures until a fix is ready, which is "imminent," the company said.