NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE24-024: Underhood fires
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE24-024 on September 6, 2024 and closed it on September 24, 2026. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler for it and links recall 26V-363 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE24-024 (also written PE24024)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed September 24, 2026
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
- Component
- Steering — Hydraulic Power Assist — Pump
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 26V-363: Park Outside: Power Steering Wiring May Catch Fire, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE24-024.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
On September 6, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE24024 to investigate allegations of engine compartment fires in model year 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles. Most reports described fires starting on the front passenger side of the engine compartment while the vehicle was turned off, with several originating specifically at the electrohydraulic power steering pump's electrical connector. Following the opening of the investigation, ODI sent an information request letter to the vehicle manufacturer to assess the cause, scope, and frequency of the alleged defect. Additionally, ODI continued to receive reports of vehicle fires with a likely origin at or near the power steering pump. Throughout this investigation, ODI continued to discuss these new reports and the information request letter response with the manufacturer. On June 4, 2026, FCA issued recall 26V363 to address power steering fires caused by high electrical resistance at the pump's connector. Recall 26V363 includes the 781,459 vehicles identified in the opening resume of this investigation and expands the population to include all 2021-2025 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles produced between June 24, 2020, and December 2, 2024.
This recall directly covers the vehicles and issues examined in this investigation. Accordingly, ODI is closing this investigation and is not requiring FCA to provide any additional information about this issue at this time. The Agency will continue to monitor field performance and reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE24-024. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Jeep VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE24-024
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.