An urgent recall has been issued for thousands of Jaguar electric SUVs due to the risk that batteries could burst into flames.
Jaguar has told owners of its 2019 I-Pace SUVs to immediately park their vehicles outdoors and away from other structures because there is a risk that their batteries could cause the vehicles to catch fire.
There have already been three fires associated with the problem in the United States, Jaguar said. withdrawal documents issued on Thursday.
The British carmaker said dealers will upgrade EV batteries to limit their charging capacity as a stopgap measure, but it has not yet found a permanent solution.
Jaguar was forced to issue three previous recalls for the same problem, which required updated diagnostic software to fix.
Jaguar recalls 2019 I-Pace SUVs over battery issues
“Owners who previously updated their vehicle with the enhanced diagnostic software are under the impression that their vehicle is protected against thermal overloads, which, in the case of 2019 model year vehicles, may not be the case,” the documents say.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating I-Pace batteries manufactured in Poland by LG Energy Solution.
The agency’s investigation was first opened in April 2022 after five automakers issued recalls over potential defects that could cause batteries in electric and hybrid vehicles to cause fires or stop working.
General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Stellantis and Volkswagen are among those that have issued recalls over the problem since February 2020.
This comes just days after major automaker BMW recalled 720,796 of its own vehicles in the United States over concerns about short circuits in the motors.
The recall affects the X1 and X5 models, along with some 5-Series sedans, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a recall notice last week.
Jaguar has been forced to make three previous recalls for the same problem.
The British carmaker has yet to develop a permanent solution to the problem.
Other models may have been affected, but the regulator has only specified three.
An NHTSA spokesman said: “A poorly sealed electrical connector on the water pump can be exposed to water and cause a short circuit.”
Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and connector as necessary, and install a guard free of charge, the regulator added.
NHTSA also said BMW was aware of about 18 customer complaints, concerns or field cases, but had not received any reports of accidents or injuries related to this report in the U.S.
