The Jeep 4xe recall has hit one couple hard in the pocketbook.
Travel vlogger Torri Sunshine claims that Jeep’s recent recall is costing her loads of money at the pump now that she can’t use the car’s hybrid function.
Sunshine took to TikTok to ask why no one seems to be complaining about the problem.
The Jeep 4xe recall
Sunshine states that she received written notice for Jeep’s 4xe recall through the mail, “a good bit ago.”
“It’s halfway electric,” she says of the car she shares with her husband. “They’re very expensive, and the main benefit of spending the extra money … is that it has the hybrid [function].”
However, Sunshine states that they can no longer use that function due to the recall.
She reads from the notice which said that the vehicle was in danger of catching on fire. It also instructed the customer not to “plug your Jeep in anymore.”
Without the use of the hybrid electric feature, Sunshine claims she’s had to “drive [the Jeep] like a normal car and put gas in it like a normal car.”
According to Sunshine, the recall letter from Jeep also informed her that there was no available fix for the issue.
No answers
“We got [the letter] like a while ago and they just have, like, no answers and these cars are expensive,” she claims.
In the video’s caption, she also states, “It says not to park near any buildings because even unplugged they are randomly catching on fire!!!!!!!”
The high price of the Jeep, the cost of gas, and the lack of accountability in the recall letter left Sunshine outraged.
“Are they just gonna be like, okay, you bought a hybrid car but now you’re not allowed to use it?” she asks her viewers.
“Are they allowed to do that?” she concludes. “It’s crazy to me.”
Facts about the recall
Jeep issued a recall earlier this month. According to Car and Driver, “Notification letters are expected to be mailed to owners by October 17.”
Sunshine did not provide the specific date that she received her letter.
“The recall affects 154,032 4xe models, including 2020 to 2024 Wranglers and 2022 to 2024 Grand Cherokee,” Car and Driver states. The problem is related to a failure with the vehicles’ high-voltage batteries.
The batteries are at less risk when they are not charged. Hence the recall notice’s instruction for Jeep owners to avoid charging or driving the car with the hybrid electric function.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advised, “Owners should park their vehicles outside and away from structures and other vehicles until their vehicle has been remedied.”
It also states, “In addition, owners should not charge unrepaired vehicles, because the risk of fire is higher in a charged battery and the risk of fire is reduced when the battery is depleted.”
What Jeep is doing about the recall
Despite Sunshine’s claims that Jeep isn’t offering any remedy, both Car and Driver and the NHTSA state that this is not the case.
Per Car and Driver, Jeep dealers “will be able to replace the PHEVs’ battery pack or update the software if it’s deemed necessary. That work will be covered free of charge.”
The NHTSA website also states, “Chrysler dealers will update the battery pack control module software. Dealers will also inspect and, if necessary, replace the high-voltage battery.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Jeep for a statement via email.
Viewers weigh in
Sunshine’s video received 15,200 views, and several Jeep owners expressed similar displeasure with the car company.
“I’m leasing a Grand Wagoneer and I have a recall on mine that there is no answer for. It has been a shitshow with them for 3 years, so glad I leased it. Never again Jeep!” one person wrote.
@torrisunshine #greenscreen it also says not to park near any buildings because even unplugged they are randomly catching on fire!!!!!!! What is going on #jeep #jeepwrangler #jeeplife #jeep4xe #jeep4xeplugin ♬ original sound – Torri Sunshine
Another commented about the recall, “My parents have 2, both of them have this issue…so what’s Jeep going to do?! They should buy them back.”
“It’s CRAZY! I’m so annoyed that not only can we not use the electric, but you can’t park them in a garage anymore either,” someone else added.
The Daily Dot reached out to Sunshine via email and TikTok direct message.
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