Fiat Chrysler Tire Defect Class Action Lawsuit Claims Trimmed

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A class action lawsuit alleging a Fiat Chrysler tire defect in certain models of Dodge and Chrysler vehicles should be trimmed, according to a recommendation by a federal magistrate judge.

Lead plaintiffs allege that a tire defect leads to corroded and even deflated tires in 2010 and 2013 FCA vehicles.

According to the FCA tires class action lawsuit, the TPMS valve stems in certain vehicles, including the Chrysler Town & Country, the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan, and the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Journey SUVs, are defective.

The plaintiffs claim that salt and other debris can cause them to corrode, eventually leading to a flat.

Further, according to the Fiat Chrysler tire defect class action lawsuit, the car maker knew of the problem, but failed to inform consumers or fix it.

The company was able to successfully move the Fiat Chrysler tire defect class action lawsuit from state to federal court.

From there, the car maker argued that several of the plaintiffs had missed the deadline, or statute of limitations, to make their claims.

Specifically, the car maker argued that a plaintiff from Ohio, James Lett, who had purchased the 2010 Chrysler Town & Country minivan and a Michigan plaintiffs who bought a 2010 Dodge Journey had missed the statute of limitations under the consumer protection laws in their states.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Sherry Fallon agreed with Fiat Chrysler and recommended trimming the claims from the FCA tires class action.

“Claims brought under [Ohio law] ‘may not be brought more than two years after the occurrence of the violation which is the subject of suit,’” noted the judge in her order recommending dismissal of the FCA class action lawsuit.

“Lett claims to have purchased his new 2010 Chrysler Town & Country in March 2010,” she points out, also noting that the deadline for the plaintiff to file claims on his 2010 Dodge began at the time of purchase.

Judge Fallon also dismissed class action claims under Michigan and Massachusetts state consumer protection laws.

The plaintiffs were able to preserve some of their Fiat Chrysler tire defect class action lawsuit claims.

Judge Fallon denied the car maker’s motion to dismiss warranty claims under Michigan and Massachusetts law.

The plaintiffs are represented by P. Bradford deLeeuw and Jeffrey S. Goddess of Rosenthal Monhait & Goddess PA, Gary E. Mason and Jennifer S. Goldstein of Whitfield Bryson & Mason LLP, Nicholas A. Migliaccio and Jason S. Rathod of Migliaccio & Rathod LLP, Gary S. Graifman and Jay I. Brody of Kantrowitz Goldhamer & Graifman PC, Daniel Calvert of Parker Waichman LLP and Elmer Robert Keach III of the Law Office of Elmer Robert Keach III PC.

The Fiat Chrysler Tire Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Canfield, et al. v. FCA US LLC, Case No. 1:17-cv-01789-MN-SRF, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.