Jaguar has announced a buyback program for 2,760 of its 2019 I-Pace electric SUVs sold in the United States due to a persistent fire risk related to the vehicles’ high-voltage battery systems. This decision to buyback the electric SUVs move comes after more than a year of attempted fixes and multiple recalls.
The recall began with reports of battery overheating in early 2023, a critical safety issue that prompted Jaguar to issue software updates designed to limit the maximum state of charge to 80%. However, despite these updates, at least three vehicles caught fire, highlighting the ineffectiveness of these temporary measures. In August 2024, Jaguar issued a fifth recall and took the precautionary step of advising owners to park their vehicles outside and away from buildings, pending the development of a permanent solution.
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In light of the persistent issues, Jaguar’s Recall Determination Committee decided earlier this month to buy back all affected vehicles, “in the interest of timely resolution for customers.” The buyback program covers I-Pace SUVs from the 2019 model year built between January 9, 2018 – March 14, 2019. The financial terms were not disclosed, but it will be a significant financial burden for Jaguar.
The company has stated that it will hold the repurchased vehicles until a permanent fix can be implemented, though the future use of these vehicles remains unclear.
The fires occurred in I-Pace vehicles equipped with lithium-ion batteries produced by LG Chem, a manufacturer previously implicated in similar incidents involving other EV brands, including the Chevrolet Bolt. The batteries in question were manufactured between 2017 and 2018 and installed in I-Pace models produced from early 2018 to mid-2019 at Magna Steyr’s factory in Austria.
The buyback program comes at a time when Jaguar is struggling to deal with its controversial rebranding efforts. The British automaker has stopped selling internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles entirely, as the company seeks to relaunch in 2026 as a maker of ultra-luxury electric vehicles (EVs).
Jaguar is set to unveil the first of three new EV models built on its Jaguar Electric Architecture at Miami Art Week on December 2, 2024.
We have reached out to Jaguar Land Rover to confirm if a similar buyback program is being offered in Canada. We will update this article when we receive a response.
You can read the full details of the buyback program in the NHTSA notice below.
