Audi and Jaguar recall electric vehicles

12 June 2019

Audi and Jaguar are recalling their e-tron and I-Pace battery electric vehicles (BEVs) across Europe and the US due to the respective risks of excess moisture causing battery fires and faulty software delaying brake application.

Due to a wiring harness fault, moisture can penetrate the Audi e-tron’s battery cells through the charging socket, and this may cause a battery fire. Although there have been no actual fires, there have been five cases of the battery warning light illuminating due to moisture build-up.

Bloomberg reports that the recall applies to the 1,644 Audi BEVs already shipped to the US, but Audi has also confirmed that all e-tron models are affected. Consequently, it is now reported that the recall could impact more than 7,000 vehicles delivered across both the US and Europe, although discussions about such a move in Europe are ongoing.

The news comes after an initial voluntary recall of 540 e-tron Quattros in the US earlier this month. Audi plans to have a repair solution available by August, but it will not be a quick fix given the complexity and length of wiring harnesses. The manufacturer is offering loan cars to affected customers as well as free roadside assistance and an $800 (€707) cash card to cover fuel and other costs incurred until their cars are fixed.

Braking issues

Jaguar, on the other hand, is contending with a software fault that could result in the failure of the electric braking system.

Under braking, the I-Pace initially decelerates electrically before the mechanical disc brake is applied. In the event of a failure of the electric system, there is a lag between the brake being applied and the car slowing. The car would then not meet safety requirements and the NHTSA, the US road safety authority, has therefore stated that 2019 and 2020 model year examples of the I-Pace need to be recalled, amounting to 3,000 cars.

Jaguar will remedy the issue with a new software update, but the cars need to return to the garage as the I-Pace cannot receive OTA (over the air) updates. The recall is expected to begin on 1 July.