U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating reports of engine fires and the potential for others occurring among more than 781,000 Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators, even when the vehicles are turned off.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has begun a preliminary evaluation to determine the cause and frequency of the issue, which affects model years 2021 through 2023, according to a notice from the Department of Transportation (DOT).
The document indicates that the investigation was prompted by nine complaints from vehicle owners reporting fires in the passenger-side engine compartment, with one of the incidents resulting in an injury. Most of the complaints indicate that the fires occurred when the ignition was off, posing significant risks to vehicle occupants and bystanders.
“An ignition ‘OFF’ vehicle fire can result in an increased risk of occupant injury, injury to persons outside the vehicle, and property damage, with little to no warning,” the DOT notice states.
NHTSA investigators have contacted Jeep’s manufacturer, Stellantis, which reported additional “thermal events” linked to the power steering pump electrical connector in the affected vehicles. The connector is located on the front passenger side of the engine bay, consistent with the origin of the reported fires.
Stellantis confirmed in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times that it’s cooperating with the probe.
Stellantis’s latest financial results show that in the first half of 2024, the company’s net revenues dropped by 13.6 percent and its net profit fell by 48.3 percent compared with the same period in 2023. Shipments decreased by nearly 400,000 units, and adjusted operating income was down 40.1 percent.
The automaker is also set to lay off as many as 2,450 workers at its Warren Truck Assembly Plant outside Detroit, The Epoch Times has learned, as Stellantis ends production of its Ram 1500 Classic pickup truck. The layoffs are expected to begin on Oct. 8 as the end of the Ram 1500 Classic production at Warren means the plant’s general assembly operations will be cut from two shifts to one.
The transition aligns with Stellantis’s shift toward more advanced and electrification-ready models, as the new 2025 Ram 1500 Tradesman will feature upgraded electrical architecture and be prepared for future EV variants such as the Ram REV and Ramcharger, the company said.
