Update:
- U.S. District Judge Judith E. Levy granted preliminary approval to a Fiat Chrysler class action settlement made to resolve claims it sold certain Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, Ram and Fiat vehicles with an engine defect.
- The plaintiffs claimed Fiat Chrysler sold vehicles with a design defect that caused their engines to burn off more oil than what would be normal.
- Fiat Chrysler agreed to provide cash reimbursements, extend vehicle warranties to seven years or 100,000 miles and supply no-cost software upgrades as part of the agreement.
- The settlement agreement will benefit a class of nearly 1.7 million drivers.
- Drivers may be eligible to get $340 if they receive a service notification informing them they need an engine long block replacement, according to the settlement.
(May 5, 2020)
Fiat Chrysler has been hit with a class action lawsuit by Jeep owners who claim the company’s cars contain an engine defect that causes them to consume an excessive amount of oil.
Plaintiffs Amber Wood, Ashley Schuchart, Karen Burke and Danielle Oates say their Jeep vehicles, which are equipped with a 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir Engine II, consume too much oil, causing the oil pressure to drop dangerously low before recommended oil changes.
The plaintiffs claim the oil consumption defect can cause the vehicles can shut down during normal operation, which places the driver at risk of serious injury.
Wood, a citizen of Illinois, alleges she purchased a 2018 Jeep Compass from Bettenhausen Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM in Tinley Park, Illinois. She claims her vehicle is equipped with a defective 2.4L Tigershark Multi Air engine and fails to function safely, as advertised.
Wood says that, before she purchased the Fiat Chrysler vehicle, she reviewed the window sticker that was placed on the vehicle which advertised the car’s various features. She claims that she relied on the advertisements contained on the window sticker when deciding to purchase the vehicle.
The plaintiff says since purchasing the car, she has experienced excessive oil consumption and oil indicator lights persistently in the vehicle. While driving her car to work and making a left turn, the Fiat Chrysler vehicle shut off and would not move, she says.
Wood states she was finally able to get the car to start; once she got home, she called the dealership where she purchased the car.
She brought the vehicle to the dealership and was told the vehicle was sucking down oil and needed a new motor, the Fiat Chrysler class action lawsuit alleges.
The dealership then replaced the engine, but Woods argues the oil indicator light recently came on even though it was only 2,000 miles since her last oil change.
“FCA never told Plaintiff about the Oil Consumption or Oil Indicator defects, so Plaintiff purchased her Affected Vehicle on the reasonable, but mistaken, belief that her Affected Vehicle would be reliable and safe and would retain all of its operating characteristics throughout its useful life,” the Fiat Chrysler class action lawsuit goes on to say.
Wood explains she purposefully shopped for a Fiat Chrysler Jeep vehicle because she believed the advertising that went along with the car meant they were safe and reliable.
She states none of the advertisements disclosed there was a defect in with the engine and that Fiat Chrysler would refuse to repair the defects.
Wood says in the Fiat Chrysler class action lawsuit that, if the company had disclosed that her vehicle had the oil consumption and oil indicator defects, she would not have purchased the vehicle or would have paid less for it.
Other plaintiffs in the Fiat Chrysler class action lawsuit allegedly experienced similar issues due to an underlying defect affecting all of their vehicles.
The FCA class action lawsuit points to a March 2019 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaint regarding a 2015 Jeep Cherokee which states that a dealership indicated that there is an oil consumption issue having to do with the pistons.
Another complaint to the NHTSA, lodged in 2020, states that an owner of a 2019 Jeep Cherokee required a new engine because the piston rings in the engine broke and scored the cylinder which led to the engine to consume too much oil.
“Because of the Oil Consumption defect, the Class Vehicles are prone to sudden and unexpected shut down, creating unsafe driving conditions when the vehicle stalls or shuts off without warning,” the Fiat Chrysler class action lawsuit argues.
The Fiat Chrysler class action lawsuit alleges that prior to 2013, consumers had complained that some of the vehicles in the class were not powered enough. In response, the larger yet defective 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir II Engine allegedly supplanted the older engines.
The Class vehicles that were equipped with the new defective engine are 2015-2016 Chrysler 200, 2013-2016 Dodge Dart, 2016-2020 Fiat 500X, 2017-2020 Fiat Toro, 2014-2020 Jeep Cherokee, 2017-2020 Jeep Compass, 2015-2020 Jeep Renegade and 2015-2020 Ram ProMaster City.
“Owners of these vehicles are terrified of sudden, unexpected engine stalls, and left empty-handed by FCA dealerships and technicians who continue to ignore this serious safety hazard,” counsel for the plaintiffs said in a statement.
“It’s only a matter of time before this defect leads to a fatality, with millions of affected vehicles sold by FCA on the road.”
Do you own one of the class vehicles and are having trouble with the engine? Leave a message in the comments section below.
The plaintiffs are represented by Steve W. Berman and Elaine T. Byszewski of Hagens, Berman, Sobol, & Shapiro; E. Powell Miller of the Miller Law Firm; and Jeffrey S. Goldenberg and Todd Naylor of Goldenberg Schneider LPA.
The Fiat Chrysler engine defect class action lawsuit is Amber Wood, et al. v. FCA US LLC, Case No. 2:20-cv-11054, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
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350 thoughts onFiat Chrysler class action over faulty engine claims settled with extended warranties
My 2017 Jeep Renegade Hawk is consuming a quart about 1100 miles or so. Shuts off when low on oil – no indicator of low oil before shut-off. Actually ran out of oil between oil changes!!! Started consumption test at 35,800 miles and was told to continue test until 39,000. Which means checking my own oil every 1000 miles – not what I paid $30,000 for!!! The dealership as yet has offered no recourse – keep getting told to open a case. Case management says they close the case when car leaves dealership…. dealership won keep car and fix….. Still owe $18,000. There does not seem to be a remedy since all newer models are the same.
For me as a school teacher about to retire at 65 this was a major investment that was expected to last. Our 2004 jeep wrangler runs like a top! No oil consumption issues there!!!! Now it looks like another new car and more years of work to pay for it – NOT NICE FIAT!!!!!
I bought a certified used 2017 jeep Cherokee sport. Had about 36,000 miles on the engine. Car completely ran out of oil and shut off on the road between oil changes. I’m doing the oil consumption test “again” praying I can get a new engine. The first test was when the regulation allow for 2000 miles. During that time it dropped to 1500 which avoided my consumption test but my car consumed almost 2 quarts of oil and 2000 miles. I’ve been told by the professionals that jeeps are known to burn oil and because so many engines are being replaced they were able to get the FCA regulations to go from 2000 miles to 1500 mile oil test conceptions in an attempt to not have to replace so many engines. Bottom line, do not buy jeeps their engines are known to consume and burn oil.
My 2017 Jeep Renegade is consuming oil, please add me to the class action lawsuit. They have concluded my engine is faulty and are going to replace it with the same engine it has, meaning it will happen again. My car stalled on me twice, and the check oil light never came on either time. it only had 2 quarts of oil left in it between oil changes. I ask about a recall and they said there was none on my vehicle and shortly after it stalled out on me twice.
Hello hi, I have a 2018 ram ProMaster city. Brought brand new. 35k miles on it now and every oil change I’m 3 quarts low on oil. Vehicle holds 5.5 quarts but after 5k miles I’m down to 2.5 quarts. Every single time. Never has been driven hard. Oil been burning since day 1. I’ve been using Mobil 1 Full synthetic ow-20 and mopar oil filter. I’m afraid this problem will get worse with no back up from Chrysler. Powertrain warranty only last but so long. I imagine some damage has already been done driving around with 2.5 quarts of oil….
I bought a 2019 Jeep Cherokee that consumes so much oil I reached out to the dealership about a trade in related to this and could not get a trade in because I hadn’t had vehicle long enough, I told them the problem but nothing has been done at this point
I own a 2018 jeep compass and I took it in to my dealership today because the oil light kept coming on . The rep at the dealership said that my car is burning oil. I just hope my car doesn’t shut off any day soon.
I have a 2017 Jeep renegade. I have oil consumption issues and have had the stalling issue as well.
Please send info. I’m in Jacksonville Florida.
We bought a Jeep renegade 2018 and it shut off while turning left in front of on coming traffic and in the rain! This is one of many issues I’ve had with this vehicle. I would love to be involved with this lawsuit!
I have a 2015 chrysler 200 with tans mission and oil issues.
How do you sign up. I have 2017 renegade and is now consuming a lot of oil as well and only has 48,000 on it.
I PURCHASED A NEW 2017 JEEP RENEGADE ON JANUARY 11th, 2018. TODAY I HAD MY OILED CHANGED AND THAT IT HAD CONSUMED EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. APPROXIMATELY 3 QUARTS IN LESS THAN 5000 MILES. THEY ASKED THAT I BRING IT BACK IN 1500 MILES, TO DETERMINE IF THE ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED. TOLD IT WAS UNDER WARRENTY AND I WOULD NOT BE CHARGED. IT ONLY HAS 31,949 MILES DRIVEN.
MY CONCERN IS IF THEY REPLACE WITH SAME 2.4 TIGERSHARK MULTIAIR 11 ENGINE,, I WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION–DO I HAVE ANY BETTER OPTIONS???