Stellantis recalls 375,000 plug-in Hybrid Wranglers and Grand Cherokees due to fire risks. Owners advised to park outside and avoid charging until fixed.
Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep has recalled around 375,000 plug-in Hybrid Wrangler and Grand Cherokee models worldwide, including vehicles sold in the UK after identifying a defect in high voltage battery parts that could cause fires, even when the car is parked up and not charging.
The interim advice from the manufacturer to owners of these vehicles is to park their vehicles outside of their property and not to charge them until a permanent fix is available. Currently, a remedy is still under development which will be cold comfort for owners.
This recall is an emerging concern for UK insurers and brokers as lithium-ion battery failures have the potential to lead to property damage claims beyond the motor policy itself, particularly when vehicles are parked in residential garages or near other insured property.
However, there is a broader need for underwriters to review policies where insured vehicles might be parked in other types of closed environments e.g. multistorey car parks or open space parking as clearly the fire risk has the potential to impact multiple vehicles and the building itself in the immediate vicinity of where the vehicles are parked.
Communication of these risks to vehicle owners affected is essential and here brokers and insurers have a role to play in advising of these emerging risks not only in the context of the vehicle owner’s own home but in any environment where there are multiple parking spaces.
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