780,000 Stellantis' Jeep Gladiators, Wranglers Investigated for Engine Fires Occurring with Ignition Off

Reports say that some Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator engines can catch fire even when the power is turned off. This led US auto regulators to start an investigation into the engine fire risks of these vehicles.

It concerns more than 780,000 Jeep SUVs and pickup trucks from the 2021 to 2023 model years.

Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator Under Investigation Over Engine Fire Risk

AP News reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) got nine reports of engine fires from car owners. One of the reports led to an injury. For the most part, the reports said the fire began on the passenger side of the engine area.

The NHTSA warned in documents on its website that engine fires with the ignition off can seriously hurt passengers, bystanders, and damage property, and they can happen with little or no warning.

Stellantis stated that more issues, called "thermal events," had happened. The issue was found to be with an electrical link at the power steering pump.

Stellantis has decided to help the NHTSA find out what's causing these engine fires and how often they happen.

NHTSA Urges Caution as Jeep Fire Risk Investigation Continues

Even though there hasn't been an official recall yet, the NHTSA said it will keep looking into the problem to fully understand it and take the right steps if necessary. Depending on what the investigation finds, a recall may be made once more information is found. In the meantime, Jeep drivers should be careful and keep up with any new information about the probe.

CBS News reported that Michael Brooks, executive head of the non-profit Centre for Auto Safety, told Jeep owners who are affected by the investigation to park their cars outside until more information is available. This way, he said, property damage would be less likely if an engine fire did happen.

Stellantis is facing challenges because of a number of issues, such as problems with quality control and excessive inventory. This week, the company recalled about 1.46 million Ram trucks in North America because of a software issue that could make the electronic stability control system in those trucks not work.

Stellantis is also dealing with other recalls in Europe because of Takata airbags that don't work right and have been linked to safety problems in several cars.

The NHTSA is also looking into other problems with cars made by Stellantis. This includes issues that were reported earlier this year with 2022 Ram 1500 pickup trucks and Jeep Wagoneer SUVs. Owners said they lost power suddenly and the engines shut down while going slowly.