Stellantis to recall about 19,500 hybrid mini-vans in US over battery fire risk

Stellantis is recalling 19,516 hybrid mini-vans in the United States because of the risk of battery packs catching fire even when a vehicle is parked and the ignition is turned off, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported on Tuesday. The recall particularly involves the Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles produced between 2017 and 2021, as per the NHTSA.

The owners of these cars have been discouraged from charging their cars and should park the vehicles outside and away from structures until they are repaired. To rectify the problem, dealerships will flash the software of the high voltage battery pack control module (BPCM), as confirmed by the NHTSA.

The safety concern come from the possibility of a defect in the BPCM software which can overheat the battery pack and create and fire hazard even when the car is not in use. To address this risk, Chrysler plans to release updates for the software to increase the safety of the mentioned vehicles and their owners.

The above recall is a clear indication that Chrysler is willing to accept responsibility for safety defects and act on it. Although it would be rather inconvenient for the owners of cars, it is necessary to guarantee the safety of the cars, including in situations when there is a possibility of a fire.

The owners with affected vehicles are advised to visit their nearby Chrysler dealer and arrange for the software update. The NHTSA encourages owners to visit their website to search for this and other recalls, or to call their manufacturer for information.

This Chrysler undertaking to quickly address this matter reveals the automotive industry’s zero-tolerance policy aimed at maintaining high vehicle safety standards and reducing possible risks to consumers.