Damage evolution in 4H-SiC epitaxial layers irradiated with 1.1 MeV Al-2(2+) molecular ions at 150 K to ion fluences from 1.5x10(13) to 8.0X10(14) Al cm(-2) and subsequent isochronal recovery were studied by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). The relative disorder on both the Si and C sublattices follows a sigmoidal dependence on ion fluence, and a buried amorphous layer is formed when the local dose reaches a critical amorphization value (0.12 dpa). The buried amorphous thickness increases rapidly at similar to2.0x10(14) Al+ cm(-2) and eventually saturates at the highest fluence. Isochronal annealing studies up to 870 K reveals the existence of three distinct recovery stages at similar to335, 520 and 650 K for low to intermediate ion fluences, where the relative disorder has not yet reached the fully amorphous level. In high-dose samples, where a buried amorphous layer is produced, the onset of a fourth recovery stage appears above 800 K. Rccrystallization occurs at the rear interface and in the surface region, and the relative amount of recovery decreases with increasing fluence for the same annealing temperatures. Defect-stimulated epitaxial growth rather than thermal-stimulated epitaxial growth dominates the recrystallization.