An “urgent” safety recall has been issued for some older Jeep Wranglers. Meanwhile, federal safety regulators opened an investigation of those and other Wranglers and Gladiators over under-the-hood fires.
The recall affects certain 2021 Wranglers due to the risk of fire.
Meanwhile, the National Highway Safety Administration started investigating engine-compartment fires in 2021 to 2023 Wranglers and Gladiators. The office said it’s gotten nine reports of such fires, including one death. Most of the reports indicate the fires started when the ignition was in the off state. It said the fires are suspected to have started in the front passenger side of the compartment.
The agency said such fires can present greater risk of injury to those inside and outside of the vehicle, as well as property damage, with little to no warning.
As part of the probe, the agency learned from maker Stellantis that several fires have started around the power steering pump electrical connector in the group of Wranglers and Gladiators.
NHTSA will look into the cause of the reported fires and how widespread the issue may be.
In addition, nearly 33,000 2020 to 2024 Gladiators and 2018 to 2024 Wranglers have been recalled due to a short-circuit issue that can cause the instrument panel grouping to fail, resulting in the vehicles failing to comply with a federal vehicle safety standard. Dealers will replace the panel grouping.
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