San Diego, California – Wirtz Law, a renowned lemon law firm in California, is leading a class action lemon law complaint against Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC, and other defendants. The lawsuit surrounds the alleged battery fire risks associated with all 2019-2024 Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in California, representing a potentially groundbreaking case in the automotive industry.

The plaintiff, California resident Sharon Joyce, purchased a new 2020 Jaguar I-PACE in July 2019. She has since experienced several issues with the vehicle, leading to multiple unsuccessful attempts to seek repair. These included defects discovered during the pre-delivery inspection that indicated “reduced electric vehicle range.” Despite being aware of such, the lawsuit claims that Jaguar was unprepared to rectify the issues due to a lack of repair procedures.

By January 2020, Jaguar issued a software update, H264 to deliver up to 12 miles of additional real-world range on a full charge. However, the complaint claims that this software update changed the battery’s operational state to a dangerously low level, leading to another high-voltage battery failure in April 2023 that left her stranded.. After multiple battery replacements, the vehicle continues to display battery fault and warning lights.

The lawsuit further alleges that Jaguar knowingly concealed the high-risk defects and, in July 2023, issued a recall letter warning I-PACE owners of increased fire and injury risks associated with the vehicle’s high-voltage battery. The recall notice also advised owners to limit their vehicle charging to 75% and to park outside due to potential fire hazards.

The allegations claim that Jaguar was aware of at least eight battery fires, at the time of the recall announcement and that these critical battery systems were defective even before the vehicles were built. Thus, the complaint says Jaguar I-PACE owners were left with devalued I-PACE vehicles and no available repairs.

Wirtz Law, alongside the O’Connor Law Group, is representing Sharon Joyce in this class action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Lemon law firm, Wirtz Law‘s complaint is claiming that Jaguar’s actions represent a clear violation of consumer protection rights and is committed to ensuring justice for the affected I-PACE owners of California.

Photo credit: Jaguar I-PACE Fire in Florida – June 17, 2022 / Electrek.com

Case Information
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
Sharon Joyce v. Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC, et. al.
Case Number: 3:23-cv-01434