Diagsheet

Symptom explainer · every vehicle on the site

Hybrid or EV system warning, loss of power

Most reported: 2024 Jeep Wrangler with 131 reports. Across the 158 model years on this site with at least five, owners filed 3,320.

  • 3,320owner reports
  • 158model years affected
  • 25,078median miles
  • 46involved a crash
  • 50involved a fire

These reports come from hybrid, plug-in and electric vehicle owners whose car put up a system warning and lost power, sometimes dropping into a reduced-power mode on the road. Others describe a car that won't charge, a high-voltage battery or inverter replacement, or a problem that turned out to be the ordinary 12-volt battery all along.

Which cars report it most · By model · When it happens · What it is and what to do

The 25 vehicles with the most reports

Each row is one model year. The bar is its count of hybrid system reports; the share is how much of that car's complaint file this problem takes up. Bigger sellers draw more reports, so read the share alongside the count. Red dots mark crashes and fires in these reports; amber marks a recall on the same system.

  1. 1
    13118% of its complaints11k mi
  2. 2
    11853% of its complaints19k mi
  3. 3
    9726% of its complaints24k mi
  4. 4
    9110% of its complaints4k mi
  5. 5
    8622% of its complaints18k mi
  6. 6
    8610% of its complaints6k mi
  7. 7
    2021 Jeep Wrangler1 crash1 fire
    859% of its complaints34k mi
  8. 8
    2023 Jeep Wrangler1 crash2 fires
    7220% of its complaints15k mi
  9. 9
    2022 Jeep Wrangler1 crash1 fire
    6717% of its complaints23k mi
  10. 10
    6224% of its complaints25k mi
  11. 11
    5945% of its complaints80k mi
  12. 12
    5642% of its complaints5k mi
  13. 13
    549% of its complaints3k mi
  14. 14
    5313% of its complaints29k mi
  15. 15
    527% of its complaints46k mi
  16. 16
    5215% of its complaints33k mi
  17. 17
    5011% of its complaints11k mi
  18. 18
    4820% of its complaintsfew mileages
  19. 19
    4455% of its complaints80k mi
  20. 20
    4036% of its complaints20k mi
  21. 21
    394% of its complaints51k mi
  22. 22
    3617% of its complaints48k mi
  23. 23
    3530% of its complaints24k mi
  24. 24
    3513% of its complaints32k mi
  25. 25
    323% of its complaints104k mi

Where it dominates the complaint file

Model years with at least 25 reports, ranked by the share of all their complaints that describe hybrid system. That takes most of the sales-volume effect out (small sellers still swing more).

  1. 1
    4455% of its complaints80k mi
  2. 2
    11853% of its complaints19k mi
  3. 3
    2853% of its complaints75k mi
  4. 4
    5945% of its complaints80k mi
  5. 5
    5642% of its complaints5k mi
  6. 6
    4036% of its complaints20k mi
  7. 7
    3530% of its complaints24k mi
  8. 8
    9726% of its complaints24k mi
  9. 9
    6224% of its complaints25k mi
  10. 10
    8622% of its complaints18k mi

By model, every year together

The 12 models with the most reports. Each chip is a model year; the darker chip is its worst year.

When it happens

968 of the 3,320 reports state a mileage. The middle half fall between 7,000 and 62,348 miles; the median is 25,078. Each column is a 20,000-mile band.

Hybrid System Problems reports by mileage at failure: 0: 422, 20k: 167, 40k: 117, 60k: 84, 80k: 60, 100k: 60, 120k: 26, 140k: 20, 160k: 6, 180k: 2, 200k+: 4422016720k11740k8460k6080k60100k26120k20140k6160k2180k4200k+

Reports by model year

Every report of hybrid system, grouped by the model year of the car. 46 involved a crash and 50 a fire. 33 people were hurt.

Hybrid System Problems reports by model year: 2014: 121, 2015: 123, 2016: 131, 2017: 207, 2018: 222, 2019: 252, 2020: 159, 2021: 444, 2022: 532, 2023: 430, 2024: 484, 2025: 122, 2026: 93121'14123'15131'16207'17222'18252'19159'20444'21532'22430'23484'24122'2593'26

What owners describe

Share of the 3,320 reports that use each phrase. One report can use several.

a hybrid or EV system warning84%
it would not charge28%
the pack or inverter was replaced23%
it lost power or went to limp mode18%
the 12V battery was the cause6%

What got replaced

Reports that name the part, across every vehicle.

the charger or port861
the traction battery579
the drive unit253
the 12V battery121
the inverter73

What it is and what to do

What is usually involved

NHTSA's guide to electrified vehicles lays out the main parts. The traction battery stores energy and powers the electric motor. The power inverter sits between the battery and the motor and converts the battery's direct current into the alternating current the motor needs. Most EVs and many hybrids have no conventional alternator; a DC-DC converter steps the pack's high voltage down to recharge the 12-volt battery that runs the lights and electronics. Plug-ins add a charging port. Owners here name the traction battery, the inverter, the 12-volt battery, the charger or port, and the drive unit.

That 12-volt battery deserves attention first. NHTSA stresses that it's very different from the high-voltage pack, and some owners in this group report that the small battery (not the expensive pack) turned out to be the real cause.

What a shop checks first

Ask for the 12-volt battery to be tested, then a full scan of the hybrid or EV system codes. High-voltage work is specialist work. NHTSA says owners should never try to service the traction battery without proper training and specialized equipment, so this is dealer territory or a shop that advertises hybrid and EV service. Delphi's technical team notes that some EV makers require a battery health check with a diagnostic tool just to keep the battery warranty in force, so ask whether yours does.

When to stop driving

A warning that comes with a sudden loss of power at speed is a safety problem: get off the road and don't keep driving in a reduced-power mode on a highway. NHTSA also warns that EV and hybrid batteries are corrosive, that a flooded vehicle can become a high-voltage shock hazard that may lead to fire, and that you should contact your dealer or emergency services if you suspect flood damage.

What to tell the mechanic

Write down the exact warning text, the state of charge, the outside temperature and whether the car was charging, parked or moving. Say whether it has happened before and whether the 12-volt battery has ever been replaced.

Recalls, bulletins and warranty

Search your VIN at NHTSA's recall page; recall repairs are free. Then check your warranty booklet for any separate coverage on hybrid and EV components and the months or miles it runs. Manufacturers must file their service bulletins and warranty extensions with NHTSA, and those show up when you search your year, make and model.

Counts are unique NHTSA complaints on the 1,040 vehicle model years that have a page here, grouped by the word patterns described on the method page. A vehicle needs five matching reports to be counted in this ranking. Checked Sep 27, 2026. All problem explainers.