Jaguar Lang Rover said it will recall exactly one SUV in the U.S. market over a concern that could lead to a fire. The issue relates to an under-tightened bolt near the high-voltage battery that could arc in the 2023 Range Rover PHEV.
The automaker first became aware of a potential issue following a field report in January 2023. It launched a plant-wide investigation and, by March, it sent out an “Update Prior to Sale” message to its dealers to prevent them from selling any potentially affected vehicles.
However, it kept investigating the issue, and in April JLR’s Product Safety & Compliance Committee requested a full probe into the defect. It found that a loose bolt could be at the heart of the issue.
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Specifically, it determined that the bolt connecting the busbar to the high-voltage battery had been incorrectly installed. That means that the necessary clamp force between the parts may not have been reached, which could lead to arcing, high-heat, and a puncture of the battery casing, which could cause a fire.
Fortunately, because of JLR’s Update Prior to Sale label, few affected vehicles actually made it into the field. Therefore, it is not aware of any accidents or injuries as a result of this issue, but it will still initiate a recall of exactly one Range Rover PHEV.
That means entirely replacing the high-voltage battery module at no cost to the owner. Regardless of the recall, the replacement would have been covered under its new vehicle warranty program. JLR plans to reach out to the owner on October 6.
