Jeep Battery Fires Lead to Class Action Lawsuit Over Hybrid Wrangler Vehicles

Batteries in certain Jeep Wrangler hybrid vehicles may still be prone to catching fire, even after the auto maker issued multiple recalls, lawsuit alleges.

A New York man has filed a class action lawsuit over Jeep Wrangler fire riskss, indicating that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)’s plug-in hybrid vehicles are still prone to battery fires, despite multiple recalls that were supposed to address the problems.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Michael Gandelman in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on March 4, naming FCA US, LLC as the sole defendant.

Plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler vehicles have been subject to at least two recalls in recent years due to battery fire risks. The first recall was issued in November 2023, and the second was issued in September 2024.

However, Gandelman claims that neither recall has fixed the problem and owners of hybrid Jeep Wranglers are still at risk of battery fires. The lawsuit claims that the batteries can still catch fire whether the vehicle is running or turned off, which could cause serious property damage, severe injuries or even death.

In his complaint, Gandelman indicates that in May 2023, he leased a 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe, which is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with a lithium-ion battery.

A software update was performed on Gandelman’s vehicle in January 2025, to repair a defect that could potentially cause the battery to catch fire either when the vehicle is on or when it is off. However, Gandelman points out that the update did not include replacing what he believes is a defective battery.

The complaint states that Samsung, the battery’s manufacturer, told FCA that certain lithium-ion batteries used in Jeep Wrangler 4xe vehicles contain a physical defect that can cause the battery to catch fire at any time.

Samsung issued a recall of its electric vehicle batteries due to poor manufacturing quality in 2022, including those used in certain FCA vehicle models. However, FCA did not offer owners and lessees any remedy to correct the issue at the time, only telling them to refrain from recharging the electric batteries and to keep the vehicles parked outside until a final repair was issued.

For this reason, Gandelman argues that the software patch his vehicle received in January 2025 is not enough to address the Jeep Wrangler battery fire problem. He claims FCA has prioritized vehicle sales over customer safety by continuing to sell vehicles with batteries the company knows are defective. 

“Defendant knew or should have known about the Battery Defect present in the Class Vehicles, along with the corresponding safety risk, and concealed this information from Plaintiff and members of the Class and Sub-Class at the time of sale or lease, repair, and thereafter,” Gandelman’s complaint states. “If Plaintiff and members of the Class and Sub-Class had known about the Battery Defect at the time of sale or lease, Plaintiff and members of the Class and Sub-Class would not have purchased or leased the Class Vehicles or would have paid less for them.”

Gandelman has presented claims against FCA US for violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation and violation of New York’s general business laws.

He is seeking appropriate injunctive and equitable relief, for himself and others similarly situated, including a subclass for residents of the state of New York.

Jeep Wrangler Hybrid Battery Issues 

Gandelman is not the first individual to file a Jeep battery defect lawsuit against FCA US. A class action lawsuit was filed against FCA US in November 2024 over fire risks affecting certain 2021 to 2023 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator models. This follows an earlier lawsuit filed in March 2024, which alleged that Jeep Wrangler plug-in hybrid electric vehicles were prone to catching fire and exploding.

According to both complaints, the affected Jeep vehicles contain batteries made by Samsung, which has allegedly known about problems with its plug-in hybrid batteries since at least 2020. The lawsuits also claim that FCA should have been aware of these battery defects during that time.