Jaguar class action claims automaker sold electric cars with batteries prone to fire risk

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Jaguar class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Sharon Joyce filed a class action lawsuit against Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC.
• Why: The automaker allegedly sold Jaguar electric vehicles even though it knew they had defective Jaguar batteries that posed a potential fire risk.
• Where: The Jaguar class action lawsuit was filed in New Jersey federal court.
• What are my options: Advance Auto Parts offers parts for Jaguar and other vehicles.

Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC is facing a class action lawsuit alleging it sold Jaguar electric vehicles with defective batteries that pose a potential fire risk.

Plaintiff Sharon Joyce says she purchased a new 2020 Jaguar I-Pace vehicle in July 2019. The vehicle allegedly had 26 miles on its odometer at the time of purchase.

She claims that the vehicle had several defects, one of which involved a reduced electric vehicle range, for which Jaguar allegedly offered no repair. According to the Jaguar class action lawsuit, the automaker knew about the Jaguar batteries defect at the time it sold the vehicle but failed to disclose it to consumers.

As Jaguar learned more about the defect, it offered purported fixes and adjustments, Joyce alleges. Some of the purported fixes included  a software enhancement to deliver 12 additional miles of range and changing the battery to run a lower state of charge.

Plaintiff says she experienced multiple issues related to Jaguar batteries defect

In February 2021, Joyce says she experienced a high voltage battery failure that prevented her vehicle from starting. She required a tow to a Jaguar facility for repair, and multiple software upgrades were performed on her vehicle.

In April 2023, Joyce allegedly experienced another high voltage battery failure that left her “stranded in the middle of a street.” The Jaguar was towed to an authorized facility, which informed her the vehicle had been repaired.

In July 2023, Jaguar reportedly notified her about a safety recall of her vehicle due to concerns that high-voltage Jaguar batteries may overheat, increasing the risk of fire and injury. The purported repair involves a software update to provide improved warnings about potential overheating and limit battery charging capacity to 75%. Jaguar also told vehicle owners to park and charge their vehicles outside, Joyce says.

Joyce asserts the automaker knew about the Jaguar batteries’ defect prior to the sale based on testing, internal sources and consumer complaints, including from drivers who brought their Jaguar electric vehicles in for inspection and repair.

Jaguar reportedly received its first report of a battery fire in June 2019 and received seven other reports of battery fires through May 2023.

Automaker continued to sell Jaguar electric vehicles even though it knew of dangerous defect, class action says

Instead of letting consumers know about the potentially dangerous and defective Jaguar batteries, the automaker “continued to market to potential class members to purchase the class vehicles,” the Jaguar class action lawsuit says.

Jaguar “has failed to remedy the defect to date,” Joyce asserts.

She filed the Jaguar class action lawsuit on behalf of herself and others in California who owned or leased 2019-2024 Jaguar I-Pace vehicles.

The Jaguar batteries class action asserts claims for violations of California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, California’s Unfair Business Practices Act and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

Earlier this year, Land Rover announced a Range Rover recall due to a defective seat weld.

Do you own one of the recalled Jaguar electric vehicles? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

Joyce is represented by Robert A. Magnanini of Stone & Magnanini LLP; Richard M. Wirtz, Daniel Z. Inscore and Alana L. Mellgren of Wirtz Law APC; and Mark O’Connor of O’Connor Law Group LLC.

The  Jaguar electric vehicles class action lawsuit is Sharon Joyce v. Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC, et al., Case No. 2:23-cv-04281-MEF-AME, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

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