Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator fire risk investigated

THE National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the US government agency tasked with writing and enforcing federal motor vehicle safety standards, is investigating what it describes as unexplained under-bonnet fires in Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator models to determine whether a recall of some 781,000 affected vehicles is warranted.

The investigation is understood to cover vehicles produced between 2021 and 2023, with nine vehicle owners reporting unexpected fires, most while the vehicle’s ignition was set in the OFF position. It is understood the passenger side (left-hand side on US models) of the engine compartment is the origin point of the fires, possible at the power steering pump, according to documents filed with the NHTSA.

The NHTSA is initiating a preliminary evaluation to determine the cause, scope and frequency of the alleged defect, and says that to date only one injury has been attributed to the issue. A Stellantis spokesperson told Reuters that the company is “cooperating with the NHTSA” as the agency determines whether a recall is necessary.

According to Reuters, some fires were reported soon after the vehicles were purchased. The owner of a 2021 Jeep Wrangler in Rumson, New Jersey, said the vehicle started smoking and within 10 minutes burst into flames. The owner told NHTSA “my daughter, dogs and I were able to make it out of the car, but very scary”.

Another owner in Arizona said a 2021 Jeep Wrangler with just 1900 miles (3058km) on it caught fire. The owner saw black smoke coming from the engine compartment and told NHTSA, “by the time I pulled over and got out of the vehicle it was on fire, and within minutes the entire car was engulfed by flames and it was a total loss”.

An Auburn, Washington owner told the NHTSA their 2022 Jeep Gladiator with just 1758 miles (2830km) on the odometer burned while parked next to the owner’s house, despite being parked there for almost a fortnight. “There was no warning of symptoms, and our Jeep app showed everything was normal when (the vehicle was) last driven”, the owner said.

The news comes at the same time Stellantis-owned Ram faces a recall of some 1.2 million 1500 pick-up models for a software glitch affecting the vehicles’ anti-lock braking control module.

Affected vehicles are found to have a stability control and anti-lock braking system issue that could see the important safety technology deactivate inadvertently.

Covering all current-generation1500 variants (dating back to 2019), the issue is described as a “control module software malfunction” that may initially manifest itself as an adaptive cruise control, anti-lock braking, or forward collision warning alert.

Fortunately, Ram has a fix for the software glitch and will install new software for the ABS module. Dealer notification and recall notices will be issued in North American markets from September 12, with export markets to follow (where so impacted).

It is not yet known whether Ram 1500 variants, or Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator variants sold in Australia are affected by the issues. GoAuto will update this article as soon as new information comes to hand.