A software update to fix a battery fire risk in popular plug-in hybrids by Jeep, Audi, and Ford may not have worked, according to a Wednesday filing by battery supplier Samsung SDI. The high voltage battery packs can still fail, increasing the risk of a fire and prompting the NHTSA to once again urge owners to park outside and not charge their vehicles. The fix may be a full battery replacement.
The recall affects 180,196 vehicles from the following automakers and model years:
Jeep (154,032 vehicles, originally under recall 24V-720 and 24E-080)
Ford (20,484 vehicles, originally under recall 24V-954)
The original recalls were announced separately by each automaker near the end of last year. Samsung SDI’s disclosure confirms the scope of the defective battery issue.
The affected plug-in hybrids can run on engine power alone, but owners should still park outside and away from other structures. The battery cells may have separator damage designed to keep apart the positive (anode) and negative (cathode) parts of the battery. If damaged, it could cause a short circuit and lead to a battery fire.
A similar problem caused the widespread recall of the Chevy Bolt EV in 2021, which resulted in battery supplier LG paying GM $1.9 billion to cover the costs of the recall.
This recall is more complex, because Samsung SDI supplied the defective batteries to three different automakers that could have slightly different designs and specs. Since the software update issued late in 2024 may not have fixed the problem, the battery packs will need to be replaced, according to the remedies listed in the original recalls. A similar fix was applied to the Bolt EV, contributing to its high expense.
The Ford vehicles may show a “Stop Safely Now” message in the instrument cluster if there is a problem. Jeep said the fire risk is reduced when the battery charge is depleted and it asked owners to refrain from charging and to park outside. Audi said owners may notice smoke or fire.
Samsung SDI acknowledged the increased fire risk and advised contacting the specific automaker for remedy information.
Jeep 4xe owners: Contact Jeep at 800-853-1403 or visit Jeep’s recall hub.
Ford Escape and Corsair PHEV owners: Contact Ford at 866-436-7332 or visit Ford’s recall hub.
Audi Q5 and A7 owners: Contact Audi at 800-253-2834 or visit Audi’s recall hub.
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