Jeep Sells a Plug-In Hybrid You’re Not Allowed to Plug In, Leaves Owners Paying the Price

Jeep Recall Day: Picture on the recall sign up page (no kidding). Mom’s thrilled, the dealer’s amused, and the kid just realized the family plug-in hybrid isn’t allowed to plug in anymore — but don’t worry, the service advisor says the battery might explode and the fix is ‘coming soon,’ which everyone is somehow treating like that’s totally normal. Kid begins lifelong distrust of Chrysler products.

December 6, 2025

By Brian Hews, 2025 Jeep Owner

Jeep has a new message for owners of the 2025 Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid: Congratulations on buying an electric vehicle. Please don’t plug it in. Also, don’t park it in your garage. And while you’re at it, keep it away from other vehicles and structures, just in case the battery decides to reenact a Fourth of July finale.

That’s the stunning guidance buried inside Jeep’s latest safety recall notice for the 4xe’s high-voltage battery, a defect so serious that the company still hasn’t figured out how to fix it. In the meantime, owners are told to deplete the battery, stop charging altogether, and then rely solely on gasoline. This is a remarkable instruction for a vehicle that costs extra precisely because it’s supposed to run on electricity.

The recall, labeled 68C and quietly dropped into mailboxes across the country, warns that the battery may become damaged during normal operation, increasing the risk of fire. NHTSA filings show multiple fires have already occurred nationwide. Some vehicles even caught fire after receiving earlier so-called fixes. Jeep’s solution? Keep driving it on gas and hope nothing lights up before they eventually craft a real remedy.

But here’s the part Jeep doesn’t mention in its carefully scripted mailer: forcing owners to run a plug-in hybrid as a gas-only SUV means those owners are now paying out of pocket for fuel they didn’t budget for. Owners bought a plug-in hybrid to save money and use electricity. Jeep disabled that feature overnight and hasn’t offered a dime in fuel reimbursement.

If this were happening in any other industry, regulators would be howling. Imagine buying a solar-powered home only to be told to stop using the panels and run a diesel generator in your backyard until further notice. Jeep seems to think customers should simply shrug and pick up the gas tab.

Stellantis, Jeep’s parent company, insists it is working on a remedy. Owners have heard that line before. Some 4xe drivers have been living in recall limbo for months during previous high-voltage battery campaigns. And as the company drags its feet, owners are left with a very expensive, very heavy SUV masquerading as a half-functioning hybrid.

Until Jeep steps up with real compensation, the message to consumers is clear: you paid for an electric-capable vehicle, but you’re on your own when the electric part stops working. And, apparently, they still expect you to smile while filling the tank.

recalls.mopar.com has the updates Jeep won’t give you — because nothing says customer care like making you chase your own recall.