Jaguar Land Rover recalls SUVs that leak fuel

Jaguar Land Rover recalls SUVs that leak fuel

September 1, 2021 Vishal Venugopal

Mahwah, NJ –  September 1, 2021 – Jaguar Land Rover (NYSE:TTM) has issued a recall for 111,746 cars to replace a part of the fuel tank – a fuel outlet flange – that may crack and result in a fuel leak. This recall is a result of a government investigation and this defect can lead to a car fire.  The affected vehicles include:

  • 2010 – 2016 Land Rover LR4
  • 2010 – 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The recalled vehicles are equipped with 3.0L V6 or 5.0L V8 engines. The affected component is the “fuel tank outlet flange” with part number AH22-9039-A.

Recall summary

The affected vehicles are equipped with a fuel tank outlet flange that may crack and result in a fuel leak. The issue was identified as a result of an investigation by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) after several customers complained about a “fuel odor” and liquid fuel” on the ground under the rear part of the vehicle.

Risks

A fuel leak can result in a fire, which may endanger not only the occupants of the vehicle but also people and property around them. 

For safety tips in the event of a fire, please visit this article on a recent BMW recall for a related issue.

According to the complaints, the leak may also result in the car running out of fuel, leading to a stall, which increases the risk of an accident. 

Other Land Rover recalls

Back in March 2021, Land Rover issued a recall for multiple newer model year vehicles for defective high beams. 

A recall in October 2020 included 2010-2011 Range Rover Sport vehicles to fix an issue where the spoilers may detach from the vehicle while driving.

The repair

Dealers will replace the fuel outlet flange with a new, redesigned part. Land Rover has also mentioned that owners that have already paid to have this issue rectified will be covered by the Jaguar Land Rover reimbursement plan.

Customers will be notified on October 8, 2021.

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Over 111,000 vehicles are included in this Land Rover recall. To see if your car is one of them, MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Vishal VenugopalJaguar Land Rover recalls SUVs that leak fuel
Jaguar recalls vehicles defective fuel gauges

Jaguar recalls vehicles defective fuel gauges

June 29, 2018 Sean Reyes ,

Mawwah, N.J. – June 29, 2018 – Jaguar Land Rover North America has recalled almost 2,000 vehicles potentially equipped with defective fuel gauges, according to documentation submitted to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The campaign affects multiple models across the Land Rover brand, including:

  • 2017 Land Rover Range Rover sport utility vehicles produced between Oct. 25, 2016, and Jan. 17, 2017.
  • 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SUVs produced between Aug. 30, 2016, and Jan. 20, 2017.
  • 2017 Land Rover Discovery SUVs produced between Sept. 28, 2016, and Jan. 10, 2017.

Jaguar suspects all of the vehicles referenced in the action contain the defective parts.

The Defect

Affected models contain fuel gauges that incorrectly indicate low fuel levels. In the event that the defective features misinterpret gasoline levels, sudden engine shut off may occur as the vehicles in question are designed to cease operation when the available fuel range drops below 17 miles. Such an event may increase the likelihood of an accident.

Therefore, Jaguar Land Rover believes the defect poses a serious safety hazard to occupants. However, the British automaker has yet to receive reports connecting the problematic fuel gauges to any accidents or injuries.

Owners of recalled vehicles will see low fuel warning lights prior to engine shut off. In some cases, owners may be able to restart their vehicles and regain motive power following such an event. However, engineers have found that the vehicles never fully regain full operability.

Timeline of Events

In April 2018, the Jaguar Land Rover Product Safety and Compliance Committee received several electronic product quality reports from dealers in the U.S. market outlining instances in which multiple Land Rover models seemed to display incorrect fuel level readings. The group reviewed these reports April 10, 2018, and decided to initiate an official investigation. Throughout April and May 2018, Jaguar engineering personnel tested 2017 Land Rover Range Rover and Discovery models and successfully replicated the issue. Technical specialists also found that the defective fuel gauges initiated engine shut off.

Following this initial inquiry, Jaguar embarked on a more exhaustive root cause investigation. This evaluation revealed that the body control modules installed in the affected vehicles were transmitting incorrect fuel levels to fuel gauges due to misconfigured microcontrollers, which were communicating incorrect fuel levels during their transitions from initialization to sleep-wake mode. The PSCC evaluated these findings May 8, 2018, and moved the issue on to the Jaguar Land Rover Recall Determination Committee.

The RDC reviewed the situation May 17, 2018, and determined that a recall was necessary due to the safety hazard posed by engine condition that accompanies the defect. The automaker informed dealers of the forthcoming recall campaign June 7, 2018.

The Solution

Jaguar Land Rover has directed dealers to install new software in the affected vehicles free of charge, according to an NHTSA recall acknowledgement document. The car manufacturers intends to reach out to owners via first-class mail on or around July 16, 2018. Owners in need of assistance prior to the start of the recall can connect with Jaguar Land Rover customer service representatives by calling (800) 637-6837. Callers should use the internal recall identification code N206. Owners can also contact the NHTSA directly using its Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.

Sean ReyesJaguar recalls vehicles defective fuel gauges
Land Rover recalls vehicles with defective fuel rails

Land Rover recalls vehicles with defective fuel rails

February 21, 2018 Sean Reyes ,

Mahwah, N.J. – Feb. 21, 2018 – Jaguar Land Rover North America has recalled more than 8,200 vehicles potentially equipped with defective fuel rail assemblies, according to documentation submitted to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The campaign affects multiple models, including:

  • 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport sport utility vehicles produced between June 19, 2018, and Dec. 28, 2017.
  • 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque sport utility vehicles produced between July 21, 2017, and Dec. 19, 2017.
  • 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar sport utility vehicles produced between April 26, 2017, and Dec. 19, 2017.

Jaguar Land Rover suspects all of the models referenced in the recall contain the defective parts.

The Defect

Affected vehicles contain 2-liter gasoline engines featuring fuel rails with end caps that do not seal properly. Consequently, gasoline and fuel vapor can leak from the fuel rails into the engine bay, increasing the likelihood of an engine fire. This poses a serious hazard to occupants. However, Jaguar Land Rover has yet to receive reports connecting the defective fuel rail assemblies to any accidents or injuries.

Owners in possession of recalled vehicles have reported smelling gas fumes during operation.

Timeline of Events

In November 2017, Jaguar Land Rover received three electronic quality reports from U.S. dealers detailing instances in which owners reported smelling fuel while operating their vehicles, according to an NHTSA chronology document. One EQR included comments from an engineer who had inspected an owner’s vehicle and found gasoline leaking from the fuel rail. The British automaker’s Product Safety and Compliance Committee opened an official investigation into the matter Nov. 21, 2017.

Members of the Jaguar Land Rover engineering and Supplier Technical Assistance groups reviewed the issue and determined that a vendor evaluation was required. The Winkelmann Group, the company that provided the fuel rail assemblies, assessed its manufacturing processes and components throughout November and December 2017, and determined that the end caps used on the installed fixtures were not properly brazed. This production fault inhibited their sealing power and led to fuel leakage.

Both parties continued to evaluate the defect throughout December 2017 and January 2018. This additional inquiry involved reviews of the fuel rail pipe stock and returned fixtures from the vehicles involved in the initial reports. These assemblies showed signs of inconsistent and ineffective brazing on the internal surface area of end caps. During this time, investigators also discovered that the Winkelmann Group maintained an “uncontrolled” fuel rail annealing workflow, which resulted in variation in interior rail surfaces and affected the sealing power of the end caps. Engineers found that the parts supplier’s fuel rail leak test was not reliable, as well.

Officials from the PSCC reviewed investigation reports Jan. 9, 2018 and determined that the problematic end caps were the root cause of the fuel leakage. They also determined that end cap breakdown did not necessarily correlate to mileage or vehicle age. PSCC personnel evaluated engineering test results that showed the pressurized environment of the fuel rail exacerbated the end cap sealing issue. The PSCC eventually moved the issue to the Recall Determination Committee, which reviewed all of the data related to the investigation Jan. 12, 2018, and requested further information related to mechanics of the fuel rail end cap failure. The PSCC fulfilled this request Jan. 23, 2018.

On Jan. 25, the RDC reviewed the latest data from the PSCC and launched a voluntary safety recall. Jaguar Land Rover notified dealers of the action Feb. 7, 2018.

The Solution

The car manufacturer has directed dealers to replace the fuel rails in affected vehicles free of charge, according to an NHTSA recall acknowledgement document. Jaguar Land Rover intends to notify owners via first-class mail March 23, 2018. Check your car’s recall status using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Sean ReyesLand Rover recalls vehicles with defective fuel rails
Recall Lookup
Enter your vehicle(s) below to check the current recall status.

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories