Class Action Says ‘Defect’ Can Cause Battery Systems in Certain Jaguar I-Pace Vehicles to Overheat, Catch Fire

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A proposed class action lawsuit claims certain Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles come equipped with “extremely dangerous” and defective battery systems that can overheat, catch fire and lead to injury and property damage.

Want to stay in the loop on class actions that matter to you? Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.

The 37-page lawsuit says that well before defendant Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (JLRNA) issued a product recall in May 2023, the automaker knew about and actively concealed from consumers an alleged battery system defect affecting all 2019 to 2024 Jaguar I-Pace vehicles.

The suit alleges that JLRNA has continued to promote and sell the vehicles subject to the recall without warning consumers about the “underlying, and extremely dangerous, manufacturing defect” for which the company currently has no fix.

Per the case, when drivers have brought their vehicles in for repairs or complained about the defective battery system, JLRNA has not provided a remedy and instead instructed consumers not to charge the cars above 75 percent or park or charge them indoors.

As part of its recall, the defendant directed consumers to get a software update that would better warn drivers of potential overheating or fire but not prevent these dangers, the suit says. The software update would also limit the car’s charge capacity to 75 percent, the complaint relays.

The plaintiff, a California resident, bought a new 2020 Jaguar I-Pace in 2019, the filing says. In February 2021, the woman’s vehicle experienced a high-voltage battery failure and had to be towed to a repair facility, the lawsuit explains.

In April 2023, the plaintiff’s car battery failed again, leaving the woman “stranded in the middle of a street and blocking people from exiting their parking spaces,” the suit states. As the case tells it, the car had to be towed once again, and the batteries were replaced.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff received a consumer notification of the vehicle recall on July 18, 2023.

The filing argues that JLRNA was aware of the battery system defect for a “significant” amount of time before issuing the recall, having learned of it through internal testing and scores of consumer complaints and repair requests. Nevertheless, the case charges, the automaker has failed to remedy the defect and instead continues to market the vehicles at issue for sale or lease to “unsuspecting consumers.”

The lawsuit looks to represent all persons or entities in California who are current or former owners and/or lessees of 2019 to 2024 Jaguar I-Pace vehicles that were bought or used primarily for personal or business purposes by a person or any other legal entity to which not more than five motor vehicles are registered in California.

Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.