Stellantis Issues Global Recall for 700,000 Hybrid Vehicles Due to Engine Fire Risk

Stellantis is recalling 700,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide due to a fire risk, the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) announced on April 1, 2026. The recall covers vehicles produced between 2023 and 2026 across eight brands: Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Opel/Vauxhall, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Jeep, and Fiat. The KBA specified the affected models as 295,000 units of the Peugeot 208 and 2008, 126,000 Citroën C3, C4, and C3 Aircross, 124,000 Fiat Grande Panda, 44,000 Alfa Romeo Junior, and 88,000 Jeep Avenger. Stellantis confirmed it decided to proceed with the recall after identifying 36 (incidents) — worldwide incidents linked to the defect, including 12 fires globally related to the defect. France is the most heavily affected market, with 212,000 vehicles recalled, more than half of which carry the Peugeot badge. Germany accounts for approximately 80,000 vehicles, according to a Stellantis company spokesperson cited by Deutsche Welle, while the KBA's own figure for Germany stands at over 50,000.

Electric arc in humid conditions triggers fire risk The technical fault lies in the proximity of two engine components in the 48-volt mild hybrid drivetrain. Stellantis stated that some vehicles were assembled with insufficient clearance between the gasoline particulate filter pipe and the protection cap of the 48V belt-driven starter generator pole. In humid conditions, contact between these two components can allow water infiltration, generating an electric arc that triggers overheating. In the worst-case scenario, that overheating can develop into a fire in the engine compartment. The German motoring club ADAC conducted tests that confirmed the design flaw, according to reporting by wnp.pl. The problem is specific to the physical layout of the engine bay in small hybrid cars, where the combustion engine and electric motor are positioned in close proximity, and does not relate to the 1.2-litre turbo hybrid 48-volt engine itself, Stellantis clarified.

Thirty-minute workshop fix offered free of charge Stellantis said the repair is straightforward and can be completed at an authorised dealership in approximately 30 minutes at no cost to the owner. The fix involves installing a larger protective cover over the starter generator pole, eliminating the risk of contact with the particulate filter pipe. Stellantis stated it would contact owners of affected vehicles directly, asking them to schedule a service appointment. In France, the recall was formally announced on the official Rappel-Infos platform on March 20, 2026, covering 211,725 vehicles. The French breakdown includes 122,091 Peugeot units (208 and 2008 models), 42,349 Citroën vehicles including the C3 and C3 Aircross, 16,142 Opel models (Corsa, Mokka, Frontera), 5,974 Jeep Avenger units, 4,840 DS vehicles (DS3 and DS4), 4,491 Alfa Romeo Junior units, 1,492 Fiat Grande Panda, and 911 Lancia vehicles. Polish media outlet wnp.pl reported that the recall also affects Poland, where several thousand vehicles with the affected engines are in use, and advised owners not to wait before booking a free inspection.

Recall adds to Stellantis's string of technical setbacks Stellantis N.V. was formed in 2021 through the merger of the French PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, itself the product of a merger between Italy's Fiat and the US-based Chrysler completed in stages between 2009 and 2014. The group has faced a series of large-scale recall campaigns in recent years, including problems with its PureTech petrol engines and airbags manufactured by Takata. In February 2026, Stellantis had already initiated a separate recall involving a 1.2-litre engine in its diesel version, according to Deutsche Welle citing the ADAC. On March 22, 2026, over 50,000 models from Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Fiat, and DS were recalled due to problems with the 1.2 turbo hybrid engine, according to Libertatea.

The latest recall represents what Stellantis itself described, according to Ouest France, as a campaign "rare in its scale." Deutsche Welle noted that the action follows previous large recall campaigns tied to PureTech engine failures and Takata airbag defects, both of which affected hundreds of thousands of vehicles across multiple markets. Stellantis did not publicly confirm the global total of 700,000 cited by the KBA, communicating its figures on a country-by-country basis instead. The company reiterated that customer safety is central to its values in a statement accompanying the recall announcement. The recall adds further pressure to a manufacturer that has faced mounting technical and financial challenges, with the group having reported losses of 22 million euros attributed to electric vehicles at the start of February 2026, according to Libertatea.

„We are dealing with a problem related to the gap between certain components, which in the case of moisture can lead to the creation of an electric arc that could cause a thermal failure, e.g., overheating” — Stellantis spokesperson via wnp.pl