The 2024 Ineos Grenadier may not even fully be on the lots of the brand’s 21 North American dealers and there’s already a problem. A recall has been issued for the Grenadier over its cool looking auxiliary switches as they can cause a fire.
The safety recall report issued by the NHTSA, details the problem. The agency says that a defect in the Grenadier’s optional aux switches can short circuit and cause a fire.
On vehicles equipped with the optional auxiliary switch package relay, the relay control wire may become trapped under the relay power cable connection nut during assembly, possibly compromising the integrity of the relay control wire insulation. If the integrity of the relay control wire insulation is compromised, a short circuit could occur, increasing the risk of thermal event or vehicle fire.
The Grenadier’s auxiliary switches are a $1,650 option. If chosen, the switches are placed on an overhead panel and can be used to control things like aftermarket winches and exterior lighting. Grenadier discovered the problem in November 2023 on a single model. While risk of fire is more than enough cause for concern — especially on a newly released $70,000+ off-road toy — the overall number of affected vehicles is low, the NHTSA says it’s just one percent of the total number of Grenadiers, or 706.
The NHTSA says owners should look out for smoke coming from the cargo area; that’s the main tell that a short circuit has occurred. Owners should have received their recall notices a week before Christmas. The fix seems simple enough: Ineos dealers will inspect the aux switch relay terminals and then “repair or replace the damaged control wire section and secure the wiring.” Unaffected Grenadiers will have insulated tape added to their wiring as a precaution.
