Over 24,000 plug-in hybrid minivans were being recalled by Stellantis, just after advising owners to park their vehicles outdoors and refrain from charging them due to a potential battery fire risk. 

AP News shared that this move comes as the automaker investigates a rare abnormality in individual battery cells that could lead to fires, which are less likely when the battery is depleted.

Stellantis' investigation was prompted by a review of warranty data, which uncovered seven fires among the recalled vehicles. These incidents occurred when the vehicles were turned off, with some happening during charging. 

The EV company noted that four customers reported symptoms of smoke inhalation due to the fires. The company is actively working on a solution, which involves a software update designed to detect the battery abnormality. If a problem is found, dealers will replace the high-voltage battery at no cost to the owners.

The recall specifically affects 2017 through 2021 Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrids, primarily in North America. 

READ MORE: Stellantis Recalls 1.2 Million Vehicles to Fix Glitch That Can Disable Rearview Camera

Advice to Stellantis Minivan Owners

Owners of the affected minivans will receive notifications by mail regarding when to take their vehicles in for service. 

Stellantis assured that later models have an improved manufacturing process and are not included in this recall.

This recall follows two more recent cases, one from six months ago, when U.S. safety regulators began investigating nearly 17,000 of the same vans. The other was due to a glitch that can disable rearview camera, which was recently reported by VCPost.

Stellantis continues to monitor the situation closely and urges affected owners to follow the recall guidelines to ensure their safety.

Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that it would review the effectiveness of the earlier recall and seek to understand the cause of the battery fires. 

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