NHTSA complaint #11746276

Owner complaint summary

RE: SAFETY COMPLAINT FOLLOWING RECALL 68C (NHTSA Recall Number 24V-111 / Mopar 68C) I am the owner of a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe. Prior to having safety recall 68C performed, the hybrid system functioned flawlessly. Immediately upon receiving the vehicle back from the dealership after the 68C software flash, a severe drivability and safety hazard emerged. When driving in standard Hybrid/Electric mode, the vehicle experiences a sudden loss of power, hesitation, and a physical 'bogging down' sensation. Following this lag, the vehicle violently surges into gasoline mode, causing a sudden and unpredictable acceleration lurch after the vehicle hesitates to accelerate. This behavior occurs randomly at both low neighborhood speeds and highway speeds, making it impossible to smoothly modulate throttle input. This creates an immediate safety hazard when attempting to pull out into cross-traffic, merge onto highways, or maintain a safe, predictable following distance. The vehicle hesitates when throttle is demanded, creating a risk of being rear-ended, followed by an uncommanded surge. The dealership states the vehicle is 'operating as designed' according to a regional Jeep field engineer, implying this dangerous lag-and-surge behavior was intentionally introduced into the vehicle's management software by the manufacturer to mitigate, the recall notice noted above, battery thermal risks at the expense of occupant driving safety. The manufacturer’s recall remedy has traded a fire risk for an active moving traffic hazard." Several forums and AI searches show this is a common problem the manufacturer has created to avoid a costly recall by addressing the real issue with the battery’s fire risk. Instead they have intentionally reduce the battery’s performance causing a safety issue with the vehicle’s acceleration and operation.