Amsterdam-based Stellantis has filed a safety recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for 16,741 of its 2017-18 plug-in hybrid minivans due recent reports of the vehicles catching on fire.
Stellantis advises owners of the Chrysler Pacifica minivans to refrain from parking their vehicles indoors or near other vehicles due to the risk of combustion, the NHTSA said. The agency also advises owners to refrain from charging their cars.
Documents filed with the NHTSA reveal that the fires can occur even when the ignition is turned off, Car and Driver magazine said. The documentation didn't reveal where the fires started.
"Owners will be notified starting later this month of arrangements for the recall," a Stellantis spokesperson said in the magazine. Chrysler plans to contact owners by mail.
According to the magazine, the automaker has said that a "remedy is under development" and that the "root cause is unknown."
No accidents or injuries have been reported as a result of the fires.
The fires are only a problem for the hybrid version of the vehicle, NHTSA said. For more details about the recalled vehicles, owners can visit the NHTSA recalls site at nhtsa.gov/recalls or call the Department of Transportation hotline at 888-327-4236.
