Jaguar Land Rover North America has initiated a voluntary safety recall affecting 199 of its 2019-2023 I-PACE SUVs.
The vehicles, manufactured at the Graz Vehicle assembly plant between February 15, 2018, and February 7, 2023, have been identified as having a 100% defect rate. The recall was prompted by issues related to the high-voltage battery pack assembly, which could lead to thermal overload conditions such as fire or smoke.
“The vehicle remains with the safety defect even though the retailer reported completing the safety recall,” according to the Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-709. Investigations revealed that the defect persisted because the retailer used a non-approved service diagnostic tool, resulting in incorrect software being downloaded to the vehicle.
The safety risk involves the possibility of thermal overload conditions, which could result in fires or smoke, posing an increased risk of injury to occupants and bystanders, as well as property damage. The affected components are the High Voltage Battery Pack Assembly with various part numbers including T4K4282, T4K9818, T4K11674, T4K13288, T4K14489, T4K14609, T4K16281, T4K16370, T4K17606, and T4K19934.
As a remedy, Jaguar Land Rover will update the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) software using the correct service diagnostic tool. “This software provides an enhanced level of driver warnings in relation to battery condition and where the software determines a risk exists, the High Voltage battery charging capacity is limited to a maximum of 75%,” the report states.
Owners will not be charged for this software update, and those who have previously paid for a repair of this defect will be reimbursed. The company advises that vehicles should be parked away from structures for 30 days after the update and, where possible, should be charged outside.
Dealer notification is scheduled for November 2, 2023, and customer letters will be mailed on or before December 15, 2023.
On September 8, 2023, Jaguar Land Rover North America (JLRNA) received a field report about a thermal overload in a vehicle that had supposedly been repaired under safety recall H441. This means despite being repaired, a vehicle caught fire in the U.S.
Investigation revealed the vehicle was incorrectly repaired due to the use of a non-approved diagnostic tool. The issue escalated through JLR’s internal committees, leading to a methodology capable of identifying all such incorrectly repaired vehicles by October 10, 2023. The Recall Determination Committee concluded on October 12 that a new recall is necessary to correct the original H441 recall. One vehicle fire report related to this issue has been received in the U.S.
This is not a good look for the Jaguar I-PACE and resembles previous issues the Chevy Bolt encountered over battery fire risks.
