Stellantis Recalls Nearly 20,000 Pacifica PHEVs Over Battery Fire Risks

Stellantis NV STLA is recalling nearly 20,000 of its Pacifica Plug-In hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) in the U.S. over concerns that its battery pack may cause a vehicle fire when parked, even when the ignition is switched off.

What Happened: The recall population includes 15,910 model year 2017-2018 and 3,606 model year 2019-2021 Pacifica PHEVs. The vehicles may experience a short within the battery pack which could cause a vehicle fire, the U.S. auto safety regulator National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Tuesday.

Certain Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivans were recalled in early 2022 over similar concerns and issued a fixed. However, the company received more reports of fire despite the fix, confirming that the remedy deployed was not effective, necessitating a fresh recall.

The company has identified four injuries potentially related to this issue for all markets but no accidents, Stellantis said in a filing with the NHTSA.

Fix And Repair: As for a solution, dealers will update the high-voltage Battery Pack Control Module with revised software or replace the battery pack assembly if needed, it added.

Until the fix is deployed, however, Stellantis warned the affected vehicle owners to not charge their vehicles but to park them away from other vehicles and structures.

Earlier this month, Stellantis recalled 332,000 vehicles in the U.S. over concerns that a seat belt buckle switch sensor may be improperly connected, preventing the front seat airbag from deploying.

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Photo courtesy: Stellantis