Photo: Ford
Last November, Ford recalled one (yes, just one) Escape PHEV for a battery issue concerning the busbar terminal. Fast forward to the present day, and Samsung SDI, the supplier of the high-voltage battery, announces a new safety recall that involves 1,139 Ford vehicles and 24 Stellantis vehicles.
Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration don’t list which nameplates are affected, but Samsung SDI does mention the Escape PHEV recall mentioned in the opening paragraph. The company further lists a few part numbers of which nearly half are unknown to Google Search. The remaining three part numbers lead to the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, the plug-in hybrid variant that features a 2.0-liter turbo.
The South Korean supplier has identified welding issues in the manufacturing process of the high-voltage battery cell module, a condition that may lead to a loss of propulsion. The busbar pad was not seated properly or the power of the welding between the cell terminal and busbar was insufficient.
Manufactured by a South Korean sub-supplier by the name of Nex+, the faulty busbar will be replaced along with the high-voltage battery. Samsung’s battery-making division further highlights that the remedy battery cell module contains properly seated and welded busbars.
Somewhat worrying for such a serious problem, Samsung SDI still hasn’t determined when they’ll replace these batteries. They first have to talk with Ford and Stellantis, then secure enough replacement batteries from an already thinned supply chain. In any case, Samsung SDI further told the NHTSA that “owner notification letters will be mailed no later than 60 days after the submission of this report,” namely March 28th, 2022 at the latest.
On that note, Ford’s most fuel-efficient Escape is currently available only with front-wheel drive from $33,540 for the SE trim level. Considerably more powerful and more capable off the beaten path, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe comes exclusively with the four-door body from $52,530 for the Sahara.
The South Korean supplier has identified welding issues in the manufacturing process of the high-voltage battery cell module, a condition that may lead to a loss of propulsion. The busbar pad was not seated properly or the power of the welding between the cell terminal and busbar was insufficient.
Manufactured by a South Korean sub-supplier by the name of Nex+, the faulty busbar will be replaced along with the high-voltage battery. Samsung’s battery-making division further highlights that the remedy battery cell module contains properly seated and welded busbars.
Somewhat worrying for such a serious problem, Samsung SDI still hasn’t determined when they’ll replace these batteries. They first have to talk with Ford and Stellantis, then secure enough replacement batteries from an already thinned supply chain. In any case, Samsung SDI further told the NHTSA that “owner notification letters will be mailed no later than 60 days after the submission of this report,” namely March 28th, 2022 at the latest.
On that note, Ford’s most fuel-efficient Escape is currently available only with front-wheel drive from $33,540 for the SE trim level. Considerably more powerful and more capable off the beaten path, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe comes exclusively with the four-door body from $52,530 for the Sahara.
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