Jaguar Will Buy Back Thousands Of I-Pace EVs That Could Catch Fire

All these Jaguar EVs were subject to recalls meant to address the fire risk, but it apparently wasn’t fixed.

Jaguar I-Pace

Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Nov 29, 2024 at 10:00am ET

Add InsideEVs as a preferred source in Google

Comment

Jaguar will reportedly buy back almost 3,000 I-Pace EVs from the 2019 model year because their batteries may catch fire.
These cars have been subject to several recalls over the years and received numerous updates, but it seems they weren't enough.
Production of the I-Pace ends in December as the company prepares to move upmarket and switch to a fully electric lineup.

Jaguar can’t seem to catch a break these days. After its rebranding campaign attracted a lot of negativity, now it’s decided to buy back nearly 3,000 of its I-Pace EVs due to the risk of fire. Owners of these vehicles had previously been asked to charge their vehicles outside, and dealers installed an 80% charging limit to minimize the risk of a battery malfunction that could set the battery pack and the entire vehicle alight.

All of the 2,760 affected examples were built in 2018 and were all subject to recalls meant to address the fire risk. They received software fixes for this issue, but they apparently didn’t work, and three cars still caught fire even after they were updated. When Jaguar informed the owners of the affected vehicles that they should park and charge outside (in August), the manufacturer said it was working on a permanent solution.

Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox.

back

Subscribe For more info, read our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use.

The automaker investigated the issue further and probably discovered that repairing all the affected cars (like GM did with the Chevy Bolt EV) wasn’t economically viable or too complicated. This could explain why Jaguar resorted to buying all of the cars, and it remains to be seen what sort of compensation it has planned for the owners. The I-Pace is a heavily depreciating car, and the affected examples are over five years old by now, so it won’t be as big a financial burden as buying back cars that are still new.

In June of 2023, Jaguar recalled almost 6,400 I-Pace EVs manufactured between 2018 and 2023 to have their battery control module software updated and any battery modules with faulty cells (manufactured by LG Energy Solutions) replaced. The recall came after eight I-Pace fires in the U.S. alone.