- Samsung just took responsibility for a slew of recalls affecting over 180,000 cars.
- 180,196 cars across brands owned by Ford, Volkswagen, and Stellantis fall under this recall.
- It’s unclear what the fix is at this stage but the symptoms are similar across the brands.
It’s not every day that a recall manages to rope in multiple automakers at once, but today is one of those special occasions. Samsung just announced a recall affecting 180,196 vehicles across Ford, Audi, and Stellantis, all due to a high-voltage battery pack that might fail and catch fire.
Of all the affected brands, Stellantis gets the worst of it. According to Samsung, 155,096 Stellantis vehicles are at risk. The recall covers the 2020-2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe and the 2022-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, both plug-in hybrid model.
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According to the NHTSA, the battery packs in these vehicles sometimes have separator damage. That, combined with other interactions in the cells of the battery, could lead to a fire. Interestingly, Ford vehicles included in the recall could have a similar issue. Specifically, it affects the 2020-2024 Ford Escape and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair.
Ford told Samsung that investigations revealed ” the high voltage cell’s separator layer between its cathode and anode may be susceptible to damage as a result of the cell manufacturing process.” On the flip side, neither Volkswagen nor Samsung specify what the core issue is for cars under that brand umbrella. The two cars included in the recall are the 2022 A7 and the 2022-2023 Q5.
All we know about affected VWs is that thermal overload could result in smoke or fire. The two issues are different, but the first can lead to the second. In cases of thermal runaway, fires are almost inevitable and very tough to put out.
Samsung admits it doesn’t have a concrete fix yet, but Ford owners at least get a heads-up. If their vehicle detects an issue, they’ll see a “Stop Safely Now” message on the dash. Audi and Stellantis owners? No such luck. Their best bet is to complete the recall as soon as possible.
For now, the only solution across all brands appears to be a software update that will alert owners if the battery system detects a problem. Until then, maybe park outside – you know, just in case.
