Fire risk. Not the cozy campfire kind.
The explosive sort that melts metal and scars your driveway. Stellantis Australia just recalled 9,199 Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators. That’s part of a massive global sweep hitting 1.3 million units, but let’s stay local. These are the cars sitting in Aussie driveways right now, models from 2020 through 2024.
Here is the problem.
It’s the Electric Hydraulic Power Steering Pump. Or the EHPSP if you prefer acronyms. The electrical connection on some of these units suffers from high resistance. Think friction, but for electrons. That resistance generates heat. Enough heat to singe, burn, maybe even ignite. Combustible materials in that vicinity? They get cozy. Then they don’t.
A fire could start inside the car. Or outside. It doesn’t pick sides. The risk includes injury to people inside and everyone else nearby. Jeep says zero incidents have happened here so far. No reports of flames, no burnings. Just potential. Which is exactly the kind of thing that keeps people awake at 3 AM.
“Out of an abundance of caution… park away from structures.”
That is the instruction. Do not park your Jeep against the house. Do not park it next to your neighbor’s prized possession. Do not tuck it into a narrow shed. Back it off. Give it air. Space it out. Until the fix is ready.
Wait, isn’t the fix ready?
Not even close. The remedy is estimated to land in the third quarter of 2026. July. Or September. Maybe sooner? Probably not. The notice explicitly states the fix isn’t available. Stellantis will mail, email, or call you when it is. You will then drag yourself to an authorized dealer. The repair will be free, which is nice. But the waiting game? That costs time. Patience. Sanity.
You might be thinking: Jeep and fire risks? Again?
This is hardly the first time this brand has triggered a fire alarm. Last November, the US recall board looked at the Grand Cherokee 4xe and Wranglers with hybrid setups. Over 220k Wranglers were flagged there, though the US only had those. Here, the concern was the Grand Cherokee 4xe, specifically the Summit Reserve trim. 122 of those were delivered in Australia between launch and late 2025. The issue was in the battery pack.
Similar advice back then? Park outside. Stay away from the house. Stay away from other cars.
Here is the kicker.
Jeep Australia has not recalled the local Grand Cherokee 4xes yet. None. The 122 owners of those plug-in hybrids can drive to their garages tonight without checking if the battery is smoking. The Wrangler and Gladiator owners, however, are in a different boat. They are waiting. Parking awkwardly. Checking mirrors.
Who exactly is holding the matches?
We’ll see when the dealerships finally get the parts in 2026
