Electric Jeep Avenger as a problem car: plug connection to blame for dropouts

Jeep has announced the cause of the misfiring in the Avenger Electric. According to the report, the fault lies in the connector connection between the parking lock module (Park Pawl Module, PPM or Electronic Park Lock Unit, EPLU) and the associated wiring harness. The contacts of the two connectors are made of different materials, which leads to electrochemical corrosion, known as "fretting corrosion." This causes "disturbances and/or interruptions in the CAN bus communication," according to a Jeep spokesperson. The engine then completely cuts out torque, and at six km/h (3.7 mph), the parking lock module automatically switches to park mode and locks the transmission. Those affected have often complained about this as a "rattling noise." Jeep plans to replace the parking lock module and wiring harness. A "field campaign" is being prepared and will begin shortly, and dealers have been informed.

Sudden braking of small SUVs has been causing a stir for months. Isabel Wagner's Jeep Avenger Electric was just one example. The emergency braking came "out of nowhere," she says: "After braking while starting off, it bounced forward about five meters." On the evening of the same day, the car jerked again: It came to a stop shortly after starting off. "All the warning lights came on. Now it was clear to me that this couldn't be normal," she says.

The garage towed the car away and read 160 pages of error messages. The front camera was replaced after a long wait. Two months later, the compact SUV no longer started, producing a cascade of warning messages. Another tow truck, another garage (without result). At home, the Avenger only charged after plugging and unplugging the charger several times. A few days later, all displays failed. The sad climax came in mid-December: "The Jeep made crashing and grinding noises, slammed on the brakes within three seconds of the transmission failure error message appearing, and came to a stop on the road. Right in a sharp curve. I saw the driver behind me brake at the last second."

Isabel Wagner has had enough. "The car is life-threatening," says the head of an insurance agency. With her lawyer, Peter Runkel, she now wants to secure the return of her problem car. The lawyer considers his client's Jeep "dangerous and unroadworthy." A return is no longer possible because the one-year warranty period has expired. The manufacturer's warranty does not provide for replacement. "That's not a particularly consumer-friendly warranty," says the lawyer.

Many people are in the same situation as Isabel Wagner. Thomas Müller from Hamm (North Rhine-Westphalia) is caught in a motorway on-ramp. His car completely locked up – including the steering. "I couldn't even pull over," reports the master carpenter and Jeep fan, who owns a total of six models of the US brand. After a rather uninformative trip to the garage, the 60-year-old is driving his Avenger again, "but always with a bad feeling."

Martin Schmieder from Merzhausen near Freiburg (Baden-Württemberg) also reports a "sudden, extreme blockage" and a "mechanical grinding noise like a transmission failure." He, too, receives the error messages "Transmission defective" and "Electric drive defective." High up on the yellow Jeep, this Jeep also goes to the workshop – again without any significant gain. "My wife doesn't drive the car anymore," reports Schmieder, "it can be life-threatening."

Ellen Peperkorn from Kellinghusen (Schleswig-Holstein) has even made four unscheduled stops with her Avenger. "It comes out of nowhere," she reports. She, too, has heard strange noises and received error messages, including "Collision warning system defective." The workshop replaced the 12-volt onboard battery once. The Avenger's problems are reminiscent of a similar phenomenon in all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6, Kia EV 6, and Genesis G80, GV60, and GV70: Due to a defect in the charging control unit, the 12-volt onboard battery is not supplied with power and drains while driving. Here, too, the vehicles can make unscheduled stops, as recently happened in Switzerland. A recall is underway.

In response to an inquiry from auto motor und sport, a spokesperson for the Federal Motor Transport Authority in Flensburg confirmed "that the KBA already has information about the Jeep Avenger." The British magazine Autocar reports very similar problems with the electric Avenger as described here.

A Jeep spokesperson explains: "Jeep is addressing a minor, intermittent issue affecting a small number of vehicles. This issue, which results in a loss of power in certain driving situations, was first identified in late 2023 and has been successfully resolved for affected customers since January 2024. A software update is now available at all Jeep dealers to ensure all vehicles operate optimally. Customers experiencing this issue are encouraged to contact their Jeep dealer for a free software update." Jeep is aware of the issues only in First Edition vehicles from spring 2023. The combustion engine versions of the Avenger are not affected by the technical failures. At the end of January, 4,913 all-electric Jeep Avengers were registered in Germany.

Jeep drivers are reporting on internet forums about a particularly annoying problem in winter with Europe's 2023 "Car of the Year": Cold air is supposedly flowing through the steering column. Images are circulating online showing the opening sealed with scraps of fabric. One affected person calls the phenomenon "extremely annoying." Jeep has not yet issued a statement on this new problem.