For a while there, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe was the undisputed king of the American plug-in hybrid market. It was the success story that convinced the brand to double down with the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, proving that off-road enthusiasts were perfectly happy to trade a bit of engine roar for some silent, eco-friendly crawling. However, that “silent” crawl has recently turned into a full-blown production suspension.
As of last month, the assembly lines for both models have gone quiet. Not because of a shift in strategy, but because the vehicles are increasingly behaving like expensive, four-wheeled candles.
The legal heat is rising in a Utah federal court, where a class action lawsuit has been filed against FCA US. The plaintiffs aren’t just complaining about a squeaky door hinge; they are calling the 17 kWh high-voltage battery pack, supplied by Samsung, downright dangerous. According to the filing, these batteries suffer from internal structural defects, specifically involving the cell separators, which can lead to overheating and the dreaded thermal runaway.
Jeep’s official “remedy”? Owners have been told to stop charging their vehicles and to park them far away from houses or any structures that they would prefer not to see engulfed in flames. It’s a bold marketing move for a plug-in hybrid: selling a car that you are legally and safety-wise discouraged from actually plugging in.
The lawsuit alleges that FCA US was well aware of these risks but delayed the 2024 recall specifically to pad their bottom line, all while offering “vague” explanations for why their previous software-based fixes failed to stop the fires.
To add a bit of grit to the wound, the battery isn’t the only thing failing. By late 2025, Jeep had to launch another recall because their 2.0-liter turbocharged engines were found to have sand contamination inside the blocks, a parting gift from a flawed casting process. So, if your Jeep doesn’t burn down your garage due to a Samsung battery defect, it might just grind itself to a halt because it has a literal sandbox in the powertrain.
