Jeep Wrangler Class Action Seeks Compensation for Cooling System Defect

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Three Illinois plaintiffs say Chrysler has failed to properly address a Jeep Wrangler defect that impairs the vehicles’ heating and cooling systems.

The alleged defect is the result of a reaction between the manufacturer-installed coolant and the aluminum components of the cooling system, according to plaintiffs Chris Hanusek, Jesse Swafford and Brian Kochman.

The plaintiffs say this defect causes sludge to build up inside the cooling system in Jeep Wrangler vehicles from model years 2012 to 2017.

The sludge buildup eventually causes the Jeep Wrangler cooling system to fail, impairing the vehicle’s heating, cooling and defrost systems, plaintiffs say. They claim the sludge buildup is made worse by the presence of residual flux and casting sand left over from the manufacturing process.

Defendant Chrysler has failed to properly address this problem with owners and lessees of affected vehicles, according to this Jeep Wrangler class action lawsuit. The plaintiffs say Chrysler has known about the defect for years but never properly disclosed it to consumers.

Aggravating the problem is Chrysler’s alleged denial of warranty coverage. Plaintiffs say they and other Jeep Wrangler owners asked Chrysler to cover the costs of repair and replacement related to the cooling system defect, but Chrysler has been denying those requests. The company either attributes the failure to owner misuse or other external factors, or it claims the warranty period has lapsed, the plaintiffs say.

Hanusek says he purchased a new 2013 Jeep Wrangler, with no notice from Chrysler about the alleged heater core defect. He claims the interior heater failed to produce warm air on the passenger’s side after only 37,000 miles, and to this day the failure leaves him without heat during the winter months.

Swafford reports a similar experience with his Jeep Wrangler, which he says lost heat function on the driver’s side. He purchased a five year-100,000 mile extended warranty when he bought the vehicle used, a local Chrysler dealership told him the warranty would not cover the repairs he needed.

Kochman says he was initially denied warranty coverage for repair of the Jeep Wrangler defect. After repeated requests for repair, his local dealership agreed to make the repairs under warranty coverage, though Kochman still had to pay a $100 copay. Had he known about the defect before he bought his Jeep Wrangler, he says, he never would have bought it.

The three plaintiffs are proposing to bring claims on behalf of a statewide Class consisting of all persons who purchased or leased a 2012 to 2017 Chrysler Jeep Wrangler within the state of Illinois.

The plaintiffs seek a court injunction requiring Chrysler to notify owners and lessees of affected vehicles about the alleged defect. They are asking for an award of damages, attorneys’ fees and court costs, with pre- and post-judgment interest.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs are Eric S. Johnson and Mitchell M. Breit of Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC, Gregory F. Coleman and Adam A. Edwards of Greg Coleman Law PC, Daniel K. Bryson and John Hunter Bryson of Whitfield Bryson & Mason LLP, and Jack Landskroner of Landskroner Grieco Merriman LLC.

The Jeep Wrangler Cooling System Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Hanusek, et al. v. FCA US LLC, Case No. 3:18-cv-00509-NJR-SCW, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.