WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Askume) – A U.S. auto safety agency said on Monday it is investigating more than 781,000 new Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator sport utility vehicles after reports of hood fires.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it received nine reports of fires and one injury during its investigation of 2021 to 2023 Wrangler and Gladiator SUVs, most of which indicated the fires started when the ignition malfunctioned.
Jeep maker Stellantis (STLAM.MI) said it is cooperating with the preliminary assessment, which is the first step before NHTSA requires a recall.
NHTSA said it contacted Stellantis and discovered multiple reports of fires in the power steering pump electrical connector of Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles. The component, located in the passenger side of the engine compartment, is consistent with most of the fire reports, the agency said.
There were reports of several fires shortly after the vehicle was purchased. The owner of a 2021 Jeep Wrangler in Rumson, New Jersey, reported that the vehicle began to smoke and caught fire within 10 minutes. “Me, my daughter, and the dog got out of the car, but it was very scary,” the owner told NHTSA.
Another owner in Arizona reported a 2021 Jeep Wrangler caught fire for 1,900 miles. The owner noticed black smoke coming from the engine compartment and told NHTSA, “When I stopped and got out of the car, the car was on fire and within a matter of minutes the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames and completely destroyed.”
An owner in Auburn, Washington, told NHTSA that the 2022 Gladiator burned out after 1,758 miles, while the car had not been driven for about two weeks and was parked next to the owner’s home. “There were no warning signs and our Jeep app showed everything was fine the last time we drove,” the owner said.
