Jeep's CEO on Tuesday apologized and promised $100 gift cards in a note to owners of the brand's plug-in hybrids, who have dealt with as many as three recalls over battery fire risk in the past two years.

Bob Broderdorf said most of the brand's Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe hybrids aren't affected by the battery problems but acknowledged the recalls — which most recently have asked 320,065 owners to stop charging and park away from structures — could be "unsettling." He asked owners to "Please accept our sincerest apologies."

"As a valued member of the Jeep family, you deserve a reassuring ownership experience, and we are truly sorry if this situation caused any disappointment or concern," the email said. The brand is offering $100 Mastercard gift cards to "cover unexpected fuel costs since you are being asked to not travel in EV mode," the CEO confirmed, while also providing loaner vehicles and extended warranties for the Samsung SDI-made high-voltage batteries.

The apology came as the Stellantis NV brand also released details to dealers for how to fix the Wrangler plug-in hybrids, though not yet the Grand Cherokee versions, after the battery recall was issued in late October. Owners began to book repairs on Tuesday.

The fix, as with the prior two Jeep battery recalls, doesn't involve immediately replacing the battery. Instead, it involves a software update that is supposed to be able to detect if there is damage in a battery component called a separator. If an issue is detected, battery charging will be disabled, the company said, at which point the battery will be replaced.

The company in a recent statement said it now has a "deeper understanding of the factors involved" and has found a "more comprehensive remedy" to fix it.

Chris Hall, a Wrangler 4xe owner from Ohio who runs a YouTube channel about the vehicles, said it's critical that the problem is fixed for good this time, though he's skeptical that yet another software update can solve what he views as a battery hardware shortcoming. Stellantis said it was aware of 19 fires when it issued the latest recall.

"Time will tell, but we had fires after the last two recalls," Hall said. "If we start having fires again … I don't know what to say about that. What if this software doesn't work?"

Mike Missak, another 4xe owner and YouTuber who lives in Illinois, said the company "can't have more strikes" with the battery issues.

Both Hall and Missak indicated Broderdorf's email apologizing to owners, which thanked them for their "patience, understanding and continued trust," was a step in the right direction for the brand.

It is not only the third Jeep 4xe hybrid recall for battery fire potential since 2023, but also the third major recall to hit the vehicles in quick succession this fall, as The Detroit News recently reported.

The others involved a vehicle software update causing some 4xe drivers to suddenly lose power, and sand in some engines that also could in rare cases result in loss of vehicle propulsion or fires. The company issued an interim fix for the software update problem and it said a remedy is under development for the engine contamination issue.

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