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A Jeep 4xe class action lawsuit alleges battery recalls have failed to prevent fires in Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid vehicles.
The Jeep battery recall lawsuit includes more than 150,000 model year 2020-2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe and 2022-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe vehicles.
According to the class action lawsuit, the Jeep battery recalls haven’t fixed the 4xe vehicles equipped with 400-volt, 17-kwh high voltage batteries that can catch fire.
As seen in the above photo provided by one of the plaintiffs, simply charging a Jeep 4xe can cause a fire traced to an area under the back seats where the battery is located.
The Jeep 4xe plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit contend FCA should have warned them about the battery fire risk when the vehicles were first sold.
“FCA had all the knowledge it needed to anticipate, test for, and prevent the Fire Risk Defect before the Class Vehicles went to market.” — Jeep 4xe battery recall lawsuit
Jeep 4xe Battery Recalls
The first Jeep 4xe battery recall was announced in November 2023 for about 32,000 model year 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe vehicles.
Fiat Chrysler said it was still working to find the root cause of the battery problems, and owners were warned “not to recharge their vehicles, and to park outside and away from structures” and other vehicles until the Jeeps were repaired.
However, the class action lawsuit alleges the defective Jeep 4xe battery was replaced with an equally defective battery.
Another Jeep 4xe battery fire recall was issued in September 2024, but this time about 154,000 Jeeps were recalled in the U.S., 118,230 Wrangler 4xe vehicles and 35,802 Grand Cherokee 4xe vehicles.
Chrysler knew of at least 13 Jeep 4xe fires that occurred when the Jeeps were parked and turned off. FCA says the chance of a battery fire decreases once the battery charge is depleted.
At the time, Chrysler believed about 5% of the Jeeps were affected by the battery problems.
The lawsuit alleges FCA has never explained what a “safe” distance to park is and what a customer should do if they have no good place to park.
The class action also alleges the plaintiffs paid for 4xe vehicles advertised and sold in one way, but those customers ended up with something completely different.
The Jeep 4xe battery recall lawsuit was filed by these customers:
- Gary B. Frisch / Arizona / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Tammy Otto / Arizona / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Robert Stueve / Texas / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Brian Kreb / California / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Harry Vasquez / Florida / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Christopher Wadleigh / New Jersey / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- David Perrera / North Carolina / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Dennis Berns / Pennsylvania / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Jonathan Liscano / Texas / 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Stefani Carter / California / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Kanon Spackman / California / 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe
- Thomas Teger / California / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Eve Park / Colorado / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Donald Moore / Florida / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Richard Perkal / Florida / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Nataliia Liakhova / Illinois / 2023 Jeep Sahara Wrangler 4xe
- Kerry Johnston and Tracy Lectka / Michigan / 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Daken Shane Fee / Missouri / 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Kim Aiello / New Jersey / 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Christopher Pumill / New Jersey / 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe
- Kevin Freedman / New Mexico / 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Heidi Walker / New York / 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe
- Sheryl Reid / Ohio / 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe
- Erin May / Oklahoma / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Jonathan McCrary / Oregon / 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4xe
- Daniel Kongos / Texas / 2022 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
- Ashley Landes / Washington / 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
The Jeep 4xe battery recall lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Southern Division): Frisch, et al., v. FCA US LLC.
The plaintiffs are represented by The Miller Law Firm PC, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, Slack Davis Sanger, LLP, and Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP.