Certain Jaguar I

A failing high-voltage heater means that I-Paces without a heated windshield could fail to defrost that window, blocking the driver's view, and leading to a recall of 668 units

One of the little, unintended consequences of electric vehicles is that there isn’t a big metal engine under the hood, dumping out waste heat that can be scavenged for the driver. That, in addition to the failure of a heater, has led to a recall of 668 Jaguar I-Paces in America.

The recall specifically targets model year 2021–2022 vehicles that are not equipped with a heated windshield. In these I-Paces, the High Voltage Coolant Heater (HVCH) can fail due to delamination of the aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide coatings in the heating elements.

The consequences of the HVCH failing are more than just a chilly drive to your next location. Without the heater or a heated windshield, the electric I-Pace cannot defrost the windshield, which could restrict the driver’s vision and increase the risk of an accident occurring.

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According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Jaguar first started looking into this issue quite a while ago, following the first field reports of heater failures. Its Product Safety and Compliance Committee opened an investigation in April 2022, and since then it has received 64 complaints relating to this issue in the U.S.

However, the investigation team was frustrated by a lack of good data. An analysis in the winter of 2023 found that some of the manufacturing information provided by its supplier, Webastos, was unreliable for the purpose of determining failure-based trends.

However, by the summer, data experts hired by Jaguar helped determine the scope of the failure, which led to the conclusion that 668 I-Paces must be recalled. Now, it plans to start getting in touch with owners on September 22, 2023. They will be asked to return their I-Pace to a nearby dealer to have its high voltage coolant heater replaced at no cost to them.