Jaguar Land Rover Recalls Over 170,000 Hybrid SUVs Due to Electrical Fault

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has issued its largest recall since the merger of Jaguar and Land Rover in 2008, affecting 170,169 hybrid SUVs built between November 2020 and January 2024. The recall, published on April 17, stems from a faulty DC-DC converter in the 48-volt hybrid system, caused by a defective boost control microchip. Within 10 seconds of failure, the vehicle displays a warning, loses 12-volt system charge, and may shift into neutral, eventually stopping with potential loss of exterior lights, increasing collision risk. Affected models include Jaguar E-Pace (2021-2022), I-Pace (2021-2024), and Land Rover Defender (2020-2024), Discovery (2021-2024), Discovery Sport (2020), Range Rover (2020-2024), Range Rover Sport (2019-2024), Range Rover Evoque (2020-2023), and Range Rover Velar (2021-2024). JLR became aware of the issue in September 2024 but initially deemed it not an unreasonable safety risk; however, after additional reports, the NHTSA reclassified it as a safety matter. JLR has received 5,952 reports of DC-DC converter replacements, with no accidents or injuries. As of press time, no fix is available. This recall adds to JLR's recent troubles, including a cyber-attack causing hundreds of millions in losses, delayed next-gen Jaguar EV debut, and a fire at its Solihull factory.