Fiat Chrysler Class Action Says Engines Contain Oil Defect

A group of Fiat Chrysler drivers have filed a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer, saying their engines are defective and burn too much oil.

They argue this defect causes economic injury to drivers as well as potential physical injury to drivers and others.

The Fiat Chrysler automobiles oil defect class action lawsuit was filed by Kyle Davis, Stephanie Thornton, Roberto Hernanez, Kimberly Eager, Mikaelyn McDowell, Holly Hickman, Amber Portugal, Michael Sanchez, and Arteal Jordan. They say that vehicles equipped with a 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir II Engine were affected by the defect.

The drivers claim that despite caring for the vehicles appropriately and performing regular, recommended oil changes, they experienced a defect in their vehicles that caused the engines to burn off too much oil, and then shut off or stall as a result of the problem.

Allegedly, they and other customers were not warned that the engines were defective before they purchased the vehicles — they say that the vehicles were represented to them as safe.

The Fiat Chrysler engine defect class action lawsuit states that the drivers were financially injured by the defect because if they had known it, they would not have purchased their vehicles or would not have paid as much as they did for them.

According to the customers, some Fiat Chrysler automobiles possess defective engines that burn off or consume an abnormally high amount of oil.

This can allegedly cause the Class vehicles to shut down during use, which puts the driver and others at risk of injury and death. The customers argue that the engine defect is a result of either the manufacturing or design of the engines.

The plaintiffs state that car manufacturers have a duty to make sure the vehicles they sell are safe to drive.

They explain that oil pressure affects safety, so car manufacturers must ensure that the vehicle does not consume excessive oil which could cause the oil pressure to drop too low before an oil change is recommended. If the oil pressure drops too low, the engine can shut off without warning while the vehicle is in operation. 

To support this claim, the drivers explain that Fiat Chrysler itself has stated that “an engine stall could cause a crash without prior warning.”

According to the customers, Fiat Chrysler did not disclose that the vehicle had a defect, despite being aware of the defect and fully conscious of the high stakes of such a defect.

The Fiat Chrysler automobiles class action lawsuit goes on to say that the dangerous problem with the vehicles does not stop at the engine’s oil consumption.

The car owners say the problem is made worse by the fact that the Class vehicles’ oil indicator system does not alert drivers to the fact that their engine oil is running low. 

According to the drivers, this means they can only become aware of the low oil level and high oil consumption of the engine after the problem results in an engine stall or shut off. They stress that the stalls and engine shut offs occur when the vehicles do not recommend an oil change at that time.

The Fiat Chrysler oil consumption problem class action lawsuit states that FCA has long been aware of the problem, but attempted to conceal the defect.

The company allegedly went so far as to describe the excessive oil consumption defect as “normal” in a technical service bulletin. This was supposedly done to avoid the economic consequences of acknowledging the defect and having to recall millions of affected vehicles.

Instead of acknowledging the problem and conducting an order to repair the vehicles, the drivers argue that Fiat Chrysler has passed on the economic injury related to this danger defat to consumers.

With no help from the car manufacturer, drivers must discover the problem, seek out repairs and pay for these repairs to make their vehicles usable, says the Fiat Chrysler automobiles class action lawsuit.

Have you experienced engine problems with your vehicle? Share your story in the comments section below. 

The drivers are represented by Steve W. Berman and Elaine T. Byszewski of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, E. Powell Miller of The Miller Law Firm PC, and by Jeffrey S. Goldenberg and Todd Naylor of Goldenberg Schneider LPA.

The Fiat Chrysler Oil Consumption Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Kyle Davis, et al. v. FCA US LLC, Case No. 2:20-cv-11223-RHC-MJH, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

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