❌

Normal view

There are new articles available, click to refresh the page.
Before yesterdayMain stream

Jaguar Tells 34 I-Pace Owners Not to Park Near Structures Over Fire Risk

  • Owners of the impacted I-Pace models will be alerted to the new recall by February 7.
  • The EV from Jaguar has experienced fire risk issues for several years.
  • Jaguar recently announced a buy-back scheme of over 2,700 I-Pace models.

Jaguar Land Rover has instructed almost three dozen I-Pace owners in the US to avoid parking their EVs near structures and to limit charging to 80% because incorrectly repaired examples are at risk of catching fire.

This recall follows on from an earlier one impacting 2019 Jaguar I-Pace models. The brand says 34 vehicles in the US have not had software updates correctly installed and have a safety defect that can cause the EVs to catch fire. Impacted models were assembled between February 18, 2018, and March 11, 2019.

Read: Jaguar Is Buying Back 2,760 Faulty I-Pace EVs Over Fire Risk

Jaguar started to audit its previous recall on November 12 and found three vehicles that had not been correctly updated, even though retailers had submitted a claim for the repair to the carmaker. Jaguar has since reviewed the logs across its retail network and found that 34 vehicles continue to represent a safety risk and must be fixed. While there have not been any reports of accidents, injuries, or fires, it’s a fault that owners should take seriously. The recall also comes just a few weeks after Jaguar said it was buying back 2,760 I-Paces in the US that can catch fire.

Dealers will be notified of this latest recall on January 2, while owners will be informed by February 7. Retailers have been instructed to install an interim software update to fix the fault.

 Jaguar Tells 34 I-Pace Owners Not to Park Near Structures Over Fire Risk

Interestingly, JLR first issued this new recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on December 12 and did not tell owners to park their EVs away from structures. However, the recall notice was updated on December 17, warning owners of the dangers.

β€œIn line with recommendations made by manufacturers who have had similar issues and until such time as the safety recall remedy has been completed, retailers and customers should park away from structures,” the recall states. β€œWhere possible, vehicles should be charged outside. Customers should also limit their charge to a maximum of 80% until the recall remedy has been completed. The Owner Manual should be consulted to confirm how to monitor vehicle charge level.”

 Jaguar Tells 34 I-Pace Owners Not to Park Near Structures Over Fire Risk

Jaguar Is Buying Back 2,760 Faulty I-Pace EVs Over Fire Risk

  • Jaguar is buying back 2,760 I-Pace EVs from US owners due to the risk of fire.
  • Drivers had previously been told to limit charging to 80 percent and park outside.
  • The news comes as Jaguar is fighting against global ridicule of its attempts to rebrand.

Jaguar is going to extreme lengths to deal with a fire risk problem on its recently-axed I-Pace EV. The British automaker has agreed to buy back 2,760 2019MY examples sold in the US to get the situation resolved, at least in its customers’ eyes.

The problem relates to concerns about batteries overheating and potentially catching fire, something that has been an issue with the I-Pace for several years now. Previous recalls have applied software-based fixes but data revealed that some 2019 cars that have received the remedy are still suffering thermal overloads. To date, three of the 2019MY EVs have caught fire despite receiving a software update.

Related: Jaguar I-Pace Owners Told To Park Outside After 3 Fires Involving Previously Recalled EVs

In August Jag told owners to park outside and away from buildings and announced that another code update would limit the car’s to an 80 percent charge as a temporary fix. A β€œpermanent remedy is under development,” the company said at the time, and this month we learned that the permanent remedy means Jaguar dipping into its pockets to buy back almost 3,000 cars.

The good news for Jag is that the I-Pace has suffered from horrific depreciation, so the bill, while still huge, isn’t going to be as big as it could have been. And we imagine a large proportion of the affected owners will be glad to see the back of their trouble-prone cars, even if they are great to drive and they end up with less to spend on a new car than they were hoping.

 Jaguar Is Buying Back 2,760 Faulty I-Pace EVs Over Fire Risk
Owners had been told not to charge past 80 percent

Ordinarily, a story about a carmaker having to buy back thousands of six-year-old EVs due to a safety issue would be a PR disaster for the automaker involved. But after having been subjected to a week of ridicule over its attempts to rebrand, Jag execs are probably delighted that an I-Pace recall has nobly offered to deflect some of the attention.

Jaguar is relaunching itself as an electric-only Porsche and Bentley rival and will show a concept version of the first of three new models on December 2. To underline the shift, Jag has killed off its entire current model line and come up with new logos and branding that were met with derision and confusion online.

 Jaguar Is Buying Back 2,760 Faulty I-Pace EVs Over Fire Risk
❌
❌