Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
Echoing last year’s scandal over emissions-cheating devices in Volkswagen vehicles, a California man now says the makers of Dodge and Jeep vehicles have been running a similar scam with their EcoDiesel engines.
Plaintiff Jose Chavez is suing Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, now known as FCA US and the corporate successor to Chrysler. Chavez says FCA’s EcoDiesel engines are actually nothing that any reasonable consumer would recognize as “Eco.”
These engines, Chavez alleges, “belch out harmful pollutants far in excess of both U.S. and State of California emissions standards, but also in excess of what a reasonable consumer would expect from an ‘Eco’ vehicle.”
In a press release, plaintiff’s law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro says FCA and co-defendant Bosch LLC “knowingly concealed the use of an emissions-cheating defeat device and illegally high emissions levels up to 10 times the legal limit in EcoDiesel vehicles, and sold them under false pretenses.”
The affected vehicles implicated in Chavez’s EcoDiesel class action lawsuit include the Dodge RAM 1500 EcoDiesel from model years 2014 to 2016 and the Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel also from model years 2014 to 2016. Chavez himself is the owner of a Dodge RAM 1500 with an EcoDiesel engine.
By Hagens Berman’s estimate, affected consumers paid premiums of as much as $4,700 per vehicle, with the understanding that they were getting an environmentally-friendly vehicle. Instead, they were left with vehicles that “fail to meet federal emissions standards and are on the road illegally,” the law firm says.
Hagens Berman estimates the emissions cheating device is installed in 140,000 Dodge RAM 1500s and in 9,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees.
Stepping beyond the claims usually found in other consumer rights class action lawsuits, Chavez here raises claims under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO.
Together with co-defendant Bosch, FCA allegedly engaged in a RICO-violating fraudulent scheme and conspiracy intended to deceive both environmental regulators and the vehicle-purchasing public into thinking that the EcoDiesel engine is “clean” and “environmentally friendly.”
“Dodge owners across the country fell victim to these corporations’ dirty tactics and are now faced with the reality that the premium price they paid for ‘reduced emissions’ was a joke,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman.
If certified as proposed, Chavez’s Nationwide RICO Class would represent all persons in the U.S. who owned or leased an affected Jeep or Dodge vehicle.
He also proposes two subclasses. His California Class would represent similar Class Members who live in California, and his proposed Multistate Class would represent Class Members from the 49 other states as well as the District of Columbia.
Chavez seeks a court order blocking FCA and Bosch from continuing the allegedly unlawful and deceptive practices complained of here and requiring the companies to institute a recall or free replacement program. He also seeks awards of damages and restitution of the purchase price of EcoDiesel vehicles for himself and all Class Members.
The plaintiffs are represented by Steve W. Berman, Shana E. Scarlett and Jessica M. Thompson of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, Peter B. Fredman of the Law Office of Peter Fredman PC, Christopher A. Seeger of Seeger Weiss LLP, James E. Cecchi of Carella, Byrne, Cecchi, Olstein, Brody & Agnello PC, and Robert C. Hilliard of Hilliard Munoz Gonzales LLP.
The Dodge RAM, Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel Class Action Lawsuit is Jose Chavez v. FCA US LLC, et al., Case No. 3:16-cv-06909, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
UPDATE: On Nov. 29, 2017, Fiat Chrysler sought dismissal of consumer claims that the company ran an emissions-cheating scam similar to Volkswagen’s. Unlike the Volkswagen plaintiffs, Fiat Chrysler said the purchasers of vehicles equipped with Chrysler EcoDiesel engines don’t allege that their vehicles suffered a diminution in value attributable to the alleged cheating. Without a loss in value, the company argued, the plaintiffs can’t show they have been injured and therefore don’t have standing to sue.
UPDATE 2: On Oct. 17, 2018, Fiat Chrysler asked a federal judge to reject consumers’ bid for Class certification in an EcoDiesel multidistrict litigation, because the company says the consumers’ expert is unreliable.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
Top Class Actions is a Proud Member of the American Bar Association
LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement
©2008 – 2024 Top Class Actions® LLC
Various Trademarks held by their respective owners
This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
7 thoughts onDodge, Jeep Class Action Says EcoDiesel Vehicles Cheat Emissions
Funny how people cry amd whine about cigatettes wjen Diesel chokes people out far worse worse than cigarettes second hand smoke. I would encourage everyone eligible to file. I’m just sorry that the general population, who are victims by inhaling the diesel emission poisons, can’t file claims and shut deceiving poisoners
Greedy asses down. It isn’t the peole I’d the industry. I say sue sue sue!! Industry deserves it. And those that use diesel running equipment they should pay more they’re poisoning their fellows.
This is ridiculous. I can’t stand how sue happy the country is becoming. You people that back these lawsuits do know your just making lawyers more money, and causing the cost of goods to increase dramatically due to the need of ever increasing liabilities, because of all the lawsuits. It should be on the EPA in the forefront to due these inspections on new engines that are going to hit the market, and if they don’t have people that know cars doing the inspections, well then they will not know what to look for. You also should all be aware that dodge was bailed out by the government, which means that they had to discuss in detail with the big guys what the manufacturers future plans are. Which could potentially put blame on our government. If it was true that these engines do not meet emissions standards then the blame should also be put on the EPA for allowing said engines to be added to the vehicle line up. Just so you all know these chrysler diesel penta star engines, what ever you want to call them, have been out in other countries and passing mot emissions standards for a few years.
Also just want to add that diesels are inherently dirty engines, they damn near burn crude as fuel, so you can not take a fuel that is barely refined, and expect the engine that’s burning it to clean up the hydro- carbons/toxins, you want to change how clean a diesel motor is, you need to alter the fuel. Diesel engine technology is already, and has been for decades, where gas engines are just getting to now with direct injection. The reason we love our diesels is because diesel fuel has and energy potential much greater than gasoline, and diesels by nature run cooler, lower rpm, making them last hundreds of thousands of miles longer than gas engines. However our epa emissions regulations are ruining our diesels, making them run hotter at higher rpms, with egr, and def fluid clogging up the engines and causing theme to burn up prematurely. Not getting the life we were suppose to out of these new age diesels is all because of the EPA making a dirty engine do damn near impossible magic tricks to put out clean emissions.
I lost out huge due to the EPA’s new standards on diesel emissions with a ford 6.0 back years ago, and this is when I learned how messed up this all really is. I bought a 97 ford 7.3 powerstroke, new in 97 truck has 200k on it, and still runs like new, never had a problem with it. So when ford came out with the Ford 6.0 in 2003, we got a couple of them, and both trucks with in the first year and less than 50k miles had to have the head gaskets replaced, oil coolers replaced, egr valves replaced, egr coolers replaced, injectors replaced, which totaled over 10k per truck. Ford knew they had a problem engine on their hands, and they sued international who made the motor for 400million because of it. Well it was really fords fault for three reasons, 1 fords gold coolant that they put in every motor had silicate that separated and would clog up the coolers for the egr system, two ford bumped the horse power from internationals recommended level which was much lower, and three all the emissions equipment ford added to the engine was not thoughtfully engineered, and failed due to the materials used, and placement on the engine of the equipment. Ford never took care of a single customer, and 90% of people who owned a ford 6.0 powerstroke suffered loss time working, due to the trucks being down, and astronomical repair bills. However, we never received shit.. now we get people trying to sue because an engine isn’t as ECO as its name makes it out to be????!!! Give me a break, your a bunch of smacked asses!
I had a Jeep Cherokee and transmission went out
My 2014 Dodge charger was effected by this emission recall and I still have problems.
I told people about this a year ago now it is funny it only comes out now. The problem is not only with Diesel vehicles but also needs to include Gas vehicles as well the evidence is in all gas Dodge,Chrysler,VW’s the tail pipes are full of black carbon build up Chrysler knows they are cheating emissions to make their care seem to be better to the world but is really hurting the environment. Every Chrysler vehicle Gas I have seen has a black tail pipe filled with carbon that’s because Chrysler corp has fulled the emissions systems into thinking it is running clean
That’s funny, neither of my 2 Jeeps have black carbon build up in the tail pipes.