July 13, 2026

Jeep recalls 1.07 million Wranglers and Gladiators over fire risk, park outside

Owner letters for the park-outside power-steering fire recall started landing late last week, and Hyundai's 54,337-vehicle Elantra Hybrid fire recall letters mail today. Plus the Clover Hill cheese listeria outbreak passes its final expiration date, and the Nara Organics formula botulism investigation holds at four babies.

If you drive a 2021 through 2025 Jeep Wrangler or Gladiator, the recall letter may be in your mailbox this week. Stellantis began mailing owner notices on July 9 for a fire that can start even with the engine off and the key out, and the fix is not ready yet. The agency's instruction is blunt: park outside and away from structures until a dealer can inspect the vehicle.

This is the largest single recall this newsletter has tracked, and the mechanism is unusual. The fire does not start in the engine or the battery. It starts at the electric hydraulic power steering pump.

Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator recalled over power steering fire, park outside

What: Stellantis (FCA US) is recalling 1,076,999 Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators from the 2021 through 2025 model years. That breaks down to 787,887 Wranglers and 289,112 Gladiators. Every engine and transmission combination is included. The suspect production window runs from June 24, 2020 through December 2, 2024 for the Wrangler and August 18, 2020 through December 2, 2024 for the Gladiator. Vehicles built after those dates are not affected.

Why: The electrical connection at the electric hydraulic power steering pump, what the filing calls the EHPSP, can develop high resistance. The pump's connector header was manufactured out of tolerance, which can spread the terminals and prevent the connector from fully seating. That loose connection builds heat, melts surrounding materials, and can ignite a fire. NHTSA's recall report says the fire can occur "even when the vehicle is parked with the ignition in the 'Off' position." Stellantis is aware of one injury potentially related to the defect and reports no accidents. The filing, dated June 4, 2026, records 72 field reports, 35 of them confirmed to originate at the power steering connection.

What to do: Park outside and away from structures or other vehicles until the recall repair is complete. Do not park in an attached garage. Stellantis is advising this out of an abundance of caution. Dealers will inspect the power steering pump electrical connection and repair or replace affected parts, free of charge. You do not have to wait for the letter to check your VIN: it has been searchable at nhtsa.gov/recalls since June 11. Contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403 and reference recall number 21D. Watch for a loss of power steering assist or a "Service Power Steering" dashboard warning, both of which can signal the connection is failing.

Stellantis first investigated fires at this connection in 2023 but closed the case because the rate was low. It reopened the investigation in August 2024 after incidents increased, and NHTSA opened its own defect investigation in September 2024. The manufacturer confirmed the root cause in April 2026.

Hyundai Elantra Hybrid recalled over fire risk, owner letters mail today

What: Hyundai is recalling 54,337 Elantra Hybrids from the 2024 through 2026 model years, built between October 31, 2023 and December 31, 2025. Hyundai filed the recall with NHTSA on May 14, and VINs have been searchable at nhtsa.gov since May 16. Owner notification letters are scheduled to be mailed today, July 13. Hyundai estimates roughly 1 percent of the recalled population carries the active defect.

Why: A transistor inside the hybrid power control unit, the component that manages electricity flow between the battery and the electric motor, can overheat under high electrical load. The filing calls it a MOSFET, a metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor. When it overheats, the car may refuse to start, drop into a reduced-power limp mode with the check engine light on, or in rare cases suffer localized thermal damage that can lead to a fire. Hyundai is aware of four incidents tied to the defect, including one that resulted in a fire. No crashes or injuries have been reported.

What to do: If you own a 2024 through 2026 Elantra Hybrid, check your VIN now at nhtsa.gov/recalls rather than waiting for the mailed notice. The fix is a software update that improves MOSFET cooling and limits maximum current delivery, so dealers can complete most repairs in a single visit without waiting on parts. The repair is free. Contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and reference recall number 301. If you notice a no-start condition, sudden loss of power, or a burning smell from the engine area, have the vehicle inspected immediately.

Hyundai has not issued a park-outside advisory for this recall, and the recall does not restrict driving before the software update is applied.

Tracking: Clover Hill cheese listeria outbreak

The CDC's soft-cheese listeria outbreak remains open with 12 illnesses, 10 hospitalizations, and one death, unchanged since late June. Cases span Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Virginia. The La Ceiba Foods requeson recall, sold under the La Colonia and Selectos Latinos brands with a July 10 expiration date, is now past its expiration. If any requeson or soft ricotta from Clover Hill Dairy is still in your refrigerator, throw it out. The cheese may have been repacked under the brands Kesso, Quesos la Ricura, Izalco, De mi Pueblo, or Rio Lindo. The Maryland Department of Health has suspended Clover Hill's operating license, and the investigation remains open. The CDC page is here.

Tracking: Nara Organics infant formula botulism

The FDA and CDC investigation holds at four hospitalized infants in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington, with no new cases reported in the past month. All four babies, boys between two and five months old, were fed Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula and all received BabyBIG treatment. California public health officials confirmed Clostridium botulinum in an opened can from a sick infant's home. FDA testing of unopened samples from the same lot is ongoing, with results expected in the coming weeks. Nara Organics recalled all lots on June 13. The formula was sold at Target, Target.com, and Nara.com from July 2025 through June 2026. If you still have any Nara Organics infant formula, stop using it immediately. The CDC investigation page is here.