2022 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
A small portion of newer Jeep Wrangler 4xe PHEVs have a bad part that can cause overheating. Jeep

A bad fastener attached to some battery packs in 2022 and 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid vehicles is causing the off-roaders to overheat and lose power.

A recall notice went up this month for as many as 13,722 of the plug-in Wranglers, but Jeep (and parent company Stellantis) estimates only 35% of those vehicles have the incorrect fastener attached to the battery pack. The fasteners secure the 200 amp fuse in the high-voltage pack. 

Overheating fuses eventually fail and then the car loses power without any warning to the driver. Jeep said there may be noise that comes from the battery pack and drivers may notice a change in driveability. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on. 

Jeep has a fix ready after potentially affected customers bring in the PHEVs for inspection. Once it’s determined the battery fuse has the incorrect fastener, Jeep will replace the fuse assembly with the correct fastener. If there’s any charring or discoloration, Jeep will replace the entire battery pack unit. If anyone made repairs connected to this issue before the recall went out Jeep says it will reimburse those costs.

No crashes or injuries from the overheating Wranglers have been reported yet, but Jeep received a dozen reports of the issue since March 2022. The base Wrangler 4xe, with 21 miles of pure battery range, starts at $53,995 for the 2023 model.