My Jeep Wrangler 4xe Has an Open Battery Recall. Can I Get a Buyback?

Published October 19, 2026 · Updated October 19, 2026 · California lemon law

The Short Answer

Signs Your Wrangler 4xe May Qualify

• You bought or leased the Wrangler 4xe new, or with the full new car warranty
• A Jeep dealer has worked on the battery, charging or hybrid system more than once
• The recall visit did not end the warning lights, charging trouble or loss of power
• The Jeep has spent weeks at the dealer waiting for parts or a remedy
• Each repair order describes the same complaint in similar words
• The problem makes you avoid driving the Jeep or worry about where you park it

What California Complaint Data Shows for the Wrangler 4xe

We reviewed complaints that California owners filed with NHTSA, the federal safety agency, from 2021 through 2026 for 2019 to 2027 model year vehicles. For the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, that search found 47 complaint entries. Forty-four of them were for the 2024 model year, and the 2021, 2022 and 2023 model years had one each.

The component owners named most often was the electrical system, with 20 entries. Engine came next with 9. Steering, service brakes, fuel and propulsion, and an unknown or other category had 3 each. An owner who names two parts in one complaint shows up once for each part, so treat these as rough counts.

Keep the numbers in perspective. They are owner reports, not verified defects, and they are not adjusted for how many Wrangler 4xe models were sold. Forty-seven entries in a state as large as California is a modest number, and it proves nothing about your Jeep.

What the data does tell you is that other California owners have taken the time to report problems to the federal government. Your own case, though, will be built on your own paperwork: your warranty, your repair orders and what happened each time you brought the Jeep in.

The Wrangler High-Voltage Battery Recalls on Our Site

Our site has pages for Wrangler high-voltage battery recalls. Two of them are recall 24V720, which our page lists for 2021 to 2024 Wrangler 4xe models, and recall 25V741, which our page lists for 2021 to 2025 Wranglers. Your Jeep may be covered by one, both, or a different recall, depending on its VIN.

We do not describe the remedy or its status on this page, because remedies change and parts can take time to reach dealers. Check the recall page on our site and the NHTSA recall lookup for the current remedy status. A Jeep can have more than one recall open at once, so read the full list for your VIN instead of stopping at the first result.

A recall is a safety repair program the manufacturer runs. It is not a finding that your Jeep is a lemon, and it is not a lemon law claim. The two can overlap. When a dealer does recall work on the same system that has been causing your problem, that visit can count as a repair attempt. If the symptoms you reported come back after the recall work, the visit becomes part of the record that the manufacturer had a chance to fix the defect and did not.

If your Jeep has never had a symptom and the only issue is an open recall, the lemon law picture is different. In that case, getting the recall done and keeping the paperwork is usually the right first move.

When an Open Recall Turns Into a Lemon Law Case

Civil Code 1793.2(d)(2) requires the manufacturer to replace or buy back a new vehicle when it or its dealers cannot fix a warranty defect that substantially impairs use, value or safety after a reasonable number of attempts. You get to choose, and you can ask for restitution, which is a buyback, instead of a replacement.

The recall notice does not decide that question. What decides it is whether your Jeep has had symptoms, whether you brought it to a Jeep dealer for them, and whether they keep coming back or the Jeep keeps sitting at the dealer.

Civil Code 1793.22(b) gives many owners a helpful presumption. Within 18 months or 18,000 miles, a reasonable number of attempts is presumed if any one of these is true:

For the first two tests, the law also expects a direct notice to the manufacturer when the owner's manual clearly calls for one, so check your warranty booklet. Meeting the presumption is helpful but not required. Claims can still succeed outside 18 months or 18,000 miles if the defect first showed up while the warranty was in effect.

Whether a battery problem is a defect likely to cause death or serious injury depends on what it actually does. A Jeep that loses power on the road or shows a serious safety warning is in a different place than one with a slow charge. An attorney can read your repair orders and tell you which test your facts likely fit.

• A defect likely to cause death or serious injury went through 2 or more repairs
• One defect was repaired 4 or more times without success
• The Jeep was out of service for repairs more than 30 days total

Days at the Dealer While You Wait on a Remedy

Many Wrangler 4xe owners are less worried about the number of visits than about the time the Jeep spends at the dealer waiting for a part or a remedy. That time matters. If the days out of service for warranty repairs add up to more than 30 within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, that alone can support the presumption, even with only one or two visits.

There is also a separate rule. Civil Code 1793.2(b) says warranty repairs must be completed within 30 days unless the buyer agrees otherwise. Read anything the dealer asks you to sign while your Jeep is waiting, because agreeing to a longer repair time can matter later.

Count the days from the drop-off date to the date the dealer told you the Jeep was ready. Both dates should be on the repair order. Days when the Jeep sat at the dealer waiting for a part generally still count, since it was out of service for the repair. If a dealer sent you home to wait for a call, write down the date and the name of the person who told you.

If you got a loaner, keep the paperwork. If you paid for a rental or a tow yourself, keep the receipt. Reasonable rental and towing costs can be part of the incidental damages included in a refund under Civil Code 1793.2(d)(2)(B).

Example: How Marcus Organized His Wrangler Records

The following story is invented to illustrate how a review works. Marcus leased a new Wrangler 4xe in Sacramento. A few months in, a hybrid system warning came on and the Jeep would not charge. He had it towed to a Jeep dealer, which kept it for several weeks waiting on a part and then returned it with recall work listed on the repair order.

About two months later, the same warning came back. On the next visit, the dealer said it could not find a fault. On the visit after that, it replaced a part. Marcus saved every repair order, every tow receipt and a phone photo of the warning each time it appeared.

When Marcus called for a free case review, the attorney added up the days out of service, which passed 30, and noted that all three repair orders described the same complaint. Because the Jeep had stranded him, the attorney also looked at whether the problem was a safety defect. The firm then took the next steps with the manufacturer while Marcus kept paying his lease. This example shows steps only, not an outcome.

The habit that helped Marcus most was simple. He kept everything in one folder from the first visit, so nothing had to be rebuilt from memory.

What to Tell the Jeep Service Advisor

The repair order is the most important document in a lemon law case, and the service advisor writes it. Describe the symptom in plain words instead of guessing at the cause. Say what you saw on the dash, what the Jeep did, when it started and how often it happens.

Before you leave, read the repair order. If your complaint is missing or reworded so much that it no longer matches what you said, ask for a correction. If the advisor will not change it, send the dealer a short email that same day describing what you reported.

Visits where the dealer found nothing still matter. Under Oregel v. American Isuzu Motors (2001), you do not have to prove the exact technical cause of the defect, and visits where the dealer could not find or fix the problem can still count. Only visits to a Jeep dealer count as repair attempts. Work done at an independent shop, or by you, does not.

• Give the exact wording of any warning message, or show a photo of it
• Say whether the problem happened while driving, charging or parked
• Ask that your symptom be written down even when the visit is for recall work
• If nothing was found, ask that your complaint still appear on the order
• Check the mileage and dates before you sign or drive away

Leases, Loans and Used Wrangler 4xe Models

The lemon law covers leased vehicles too. When a leased Jeep is bought back, the usual result is a refund of what you paid plus a payoff of the lease. For a purchase, restitution is based on the actual price paid or payable, including collateral charges like sales tax, license and registration fees, plus incidental damages. A mileage offset is subtracted under Civil Code 1793.2(d)(2)(C), based on the miles you drove before you first brought the Jeep in for the problem. Every case is different, so do not plan around any number.

If you bought the Wrangler used, the rules are narrower. The California Supreme Court ruled in Rodriguez v. FCA US LLC (2024) that a used car that came with only what was left of the factory warranty is generally outside the lemon law's definition of a new motor vehicle. Used and certified pre-owned buyers may still have claims under an express or CPO warranty, the implied warranty, the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act at 15 U.S.C. 2301 and following, or fraud law.

Timing matters as well. Warranty claims generally must be filed within four years under Commercial Code 2725, and the rules on when that clock starts are technical. Civil Code 1794(d) puts your attorney fees, costs and expenses on the manufacturer when you win, so you pay $0 out of pocket to work with our firm.

What to Do Next

1. Run your 17-character VIN on the NHTSA recall lookup and write down every open recall it lists.
2. Ask the Jeep dealer for a copy of every repair order, including recall visits and visits where nothing was found.
3. Add up the days the Jeep has been at the dealer for repairs, using the in and out dates on each repair order.
4. Keep making your loan or lease payments and keep the Jeep insured and registered.
5. Call 877-536-6620 for a free case review and have your repair orders ready to send as phone photos.

Key Facts (as of October 2026)

• A recall is a manufacturer safety repair program; a lemon law claim is about a defect that was not fixed after reasonable attempts, and recall repairs can count as repair attempts.
• Within 18 months or 18,000 miles, more than 30 total days out of service for repairs creates a presumption of a reasonable number of attempts (Civil Code 1793.22(b)).
• California's lemon law also covers leased vehicles; a lease buyback typically refunds what you paid and pays off the lease.

Talk to a Lemon Law Attorney Today

You speak directly with an attorney. Our attorneys, listed in firm order: #1 Jacob Shayesteh (founding attorney), #2 Armig Khodanian and #3 Kamau Edwards, will look at your repair history and tell you honestly whether you have a case. The review is free. You pay $0 out of pocket: the manufacturer pays the attorney fees when you win, and if we lose, you owe us nothing.

What Our Clients Say on Google

“They were incredibly professional, fast, and efficient, taking over all the stressful communication with the manufacturer so I didn't have to. In the end, they secured a full lemon law refund for me, which covered not just the vehicle cost, but all of my registration fees, taxes, and finance charges.”

Aaron K. · 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE · 5-star Google review

“Even after multiple PCM software updates and the service center telling me it was just 'adaptive learning,' the car was still lunging and hesitating at highway speeds. I paid no out-of-pocket legal fees because the law requires the manufacturer to pay them.”

Nathaniel H. · 2023 Ford · 5-star Google review

“Jacob was sharp, responsive, and honest about what to expect. He communicated with Audi directly so my parents didn't have to deal with any of it, and the case moved fast.”

Joshua G. · 2024 Audi Q5 hybrid · 5-star Google review

Read all 78 reviews on Google (5.0 stars, October 2026). Reviews describe past clients' experiences; every case is different.

FAQ

Should I stop driving my Wrangler 4xe while the recall is open?

Follow the instructions in the recall notice and any guidance from NHTSA or your dealer. If you are unsure, call the dealer and ask for the advice in writing.

Does the recall visit count even if the dealer only did recall work?

It can count as a repair attempt when the work addressed the same defect you have been reporting. Make sure your symptom is written on that repair order.

Can I get a buyback if my Jeep has never had a problem?

Usually an open recall alone is not enough. The lemon law looks at a defect you have experienced that was not fixed after reasonable attempts, or long time out of service for repairs.

Do I have to keep paying my lease during a claim?

Yes. Keep paying, because missed payments can hurt your credit and lead to repossession, and a buyback deals with the lease at the end.

Sources and Official References

• NHTSA recall lookup by VIN
• California Civil Code section 1793.2 (California Legislature)
• California Civil Code section 1793.22 (California Legislature)
• NHTSA, report a vehicle safety problem

Laws change. This page reflects California law as of October 2026 and was reviewed by Jacob Shayesteh, Esq.

Related Guides

• 2021-2024 Wrangler 4XE High-Voltage Battery Recall (24V720)
• 2021-2025 Jeep Wrangler High-Voltage Battery Recall (25V741)
• Does a recall repair count as a repair attempt?
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• My Tesla Model Y Keeps Going Back to Service. Can I Get My Money Back?
• My Mercedes EQS or EQE Screen Keeps Crashing. Is It a Lemon?
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Attorney advertising. Wynn Law Group, APC, 10850 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1010, Los Angeles, CA 90024. General information, not legal advice. Results vary. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.