When considering car ownership experiences that people like least, recalls are on the list.
But recalls are a fact of life. Anything manmade is bound to have issues. The best you can do as a car owner is hope the recalls are few and far between and that the problems don’t require any downtime for a fix.
Recalls Are Nothing New
While recalls for internal combustion engine vehicles have been a thing for decades, electric cars and plug-in hybrids are newer. And, no surprise, they’ve been subject to their fair share of recalls.
Here are eight EV and plug-in recalls that have made the news so far this year.
Tesla Cybertruck
It hasn’t even been a year yet, but Tesla has issued its fifth recall for the Cybertruck. The recall affects 27,000+ of the vehicles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall relates to the Cybertruck’s rear-view camera. Specifically, there’s an image delay. By law, a rear-view camera must show drivers an image of what’s behind them within two seconds — otherwise, the risk of collisions rises.
Nitty Gritty of the Cybertruck Recall
According to reports, the problem stems from a software glitch where some Cybertrucks did not complete a specific shutdown sequence before booting back up, which resulted in a longer-than-legally-allowable rear-view camera delay of as many as eight seconds.
The good news is no accidents connected to the problem were reported at the time the recall was announced. Tesla will create a software update to fix the glitch.
Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler Plug-In Hybrids
Unfortunately, some Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler plug-in hybrids have also been subject to recall notices. Jeep is recalling 154,000+ of the plug-in hybrids. Specifically, the affected SUVs include the 2020 to 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe and the 2022 to 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe.
According to the vehicle maker, the problem is due to the possibility of a fire igniting whether the vehicle is parked or being driven. Jeep says owners should park outdoors and a safe distance from structures, and they shouldn’t charge the SUVs until the problem is fixed.
Nitty Gritty of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler Recall
Jeep says its dealerships will roll out a software update for the affected vehicles and, if required, replace the battery packs. The automaker adds that it knows of two injuries and a couple of dozen consumer complaints related to the recall issue.
According to reports, Jeep recalled a smaller amount of its SUVs, 32,000 Wrangler 4×3 vehicles in 2023, to fix a similar problem. Unfortunately, even those SUVs will require service connected to the recent recall.
Jaguar l-Pace
Earlier this year, Jaguar announced a recall for I-Pace EV SUVs from previous model years. The problem, one that seems to be increasingly common in the EV space, is a heightened risk of battery fires.
The luxury vehicle maker announced that 258 U.S. vehicles from the 2019 model year are part of the recall. According to Jaguar, battery packs in the affected SUVs have elevated risks of short-circuiting, generating excess heat, and causing fires.
Nitty-Gritty of the Jaguar I-Pace Recall
A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing shows that Jaguar was still working on a fix for the recall issue at the time of the announcement. In the meantime, the carmaker recommended that owners charge their vehicles to a maximum of 75%, charge outside, and park a safe distance from structures until further news is received.
Jaguar issued a recall related to fire worries last year as well.
Audi e-Tron 55 and 55 Sportback SUVs
Audi issued a recall notice earlier this year for its Audi e-Tron 55 and 55 Sportback SUVs. The affected vehicles were made between 2018 and 2022, and the problem relates to the risk of battery fires if the battery is charged to more than 80% of its capacity.
Nitty-Gritty of the Audi e-Tron 55 and 55 Sportback SUVs Recall
According to the automaker, the main cause of the problem stems from a manufacturing defect that could cause thermal overload in the battery pack. That’s why Audi informed owners to observe the 80% charging cap for their batteries until a permanent solution is ready.
Kia EV6
Earlier this year, Kia recalled certain EV6 vehicles from the 2022-to-2024 model years. According to the carmaker, the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) could get damaged and fail to charge the EV’s 12-volt battery, potentially leading to a loss of power and causing collisions.
Nitty-Gritty of the Kia EV6
Kia says the recall action will see dealers inspect and replace the ICCU and the related fuse. Dealers will also update the software for the ICCU. Unfortunately, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and Genesis GV60 were included in the recall notice.
Lucid Air Touring
Lucid is a relatively new EV maker, and it’s gained a reputation for its premium models. Unfortunately, however, the vehicle manufacturer was forced to issue a recall this summer for 5,251 Lucid Air Touring sedans. The recall covers the 2022 and 2023 model years.
According to the automaker, the problem relates to the potential for unexpected loss of drive power.
Nitty-Gritty of the Lucid Air Touring Recall
It’s a scary problem for any vehicle owner to have. According to Lucid, the problem stems from safety software that is overprotective. If the EV detects a loose connection, the safety software separates specific electrical connections to safeguard any technician repairing components.
Unfortunately, this can cause the EV to lose power — even if it’s being driven. That’s any driver’s worst nightmare — losing power on the road.
Lucid says it has fixed the issue and has not received any reports about power loss. It adds, though, that some of the EVs made before the update could still experience the problem and need a fix.
Tesla
Tesla announced a recall this year for 2.2 million of its EVs. The vehicle maker says the font size for the warning light on its display isn’t big enough. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it discovered the issue while conducting a routine audit of Tesla vehicles.
The agency adds that the small font size could make it difficult to decipher and increase the risk of a collision.
Nitty-Gritty of the Tesla Recall
According to Tesla, there have been no reports of collisions or injuries related to this issue. It adds it will correct the problem via an over-the-air software update, which means owners won’t have to book appointments at Tesla service facilities. The recall applies to most Teslas.
Chevrolet Silverado EV
The Chevrolet Silverado EV was the subject of a recall after GM said a problem could cause the second-row seatbelt to rip during a collision. Drilling down to the heart of the matter, the automaker said the seatbelt bezel can damage the seatbelt.
Nitty-Gritty of the Chevrolet Silverado EV
According to GM, one of its engineers found that the wrong seatbelt bezels were used in the Silverado EV. The automaker says that 352 of the electric pickup trucks were impacted by the recall.
These Are Some of the EV and Plug-In Hybrid Recalls That Have Made the News
EVs and plug-in hybrids, like their internal combustion engine counterparts, can experience problems leading to recalls. And this year has underscored that point. There’s certainly more news to come.
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