Stellantis has announced the recall of approximately 25,000 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models that were left stranded and inoperable after a software update was released. The incident served as a stark example of how critical software dependency can be in modern automobiles.

Drivers Stranded After Update

Stellantis, the parent company of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, America’s best-selling PHEV for the past three years, officially notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the recall in a letter.

Following the company’s over-the-air (OTA) software update on October 10th, vehicle owners began reporting significant problems. Some vehicles became completely inoperable and had to be towed to dealerships, while others experienced a sudden loss of power and error messages while driving.

The confusion was compounded by the fact that even some Jeep dealers were unaware of this software update and the resulting problems. According to a statement from Jeep, some Wrangler PHEVs from the 2023-2025 model years may have been updated with software that disrupts communication between the Telematics Box Module and the Hybrid Control Processor. This communication disruption ultimately causes the vehicle to lose power.

The recall covers 24,238 Jeep Wrangler 4xe PHEVs from model years 2023 to 2025. Jeep estimates that 100% of the vehicles included in the recall are affected by this flaw.

While the company has issued an interim update to its back-end policy to prevent the power loss, it is still working on the final fix. Stellantis notified dealers about the recall on October 23rd, with notification letters to owners expected to be mailed around November 25th.