Stellantis Faces Legal Battle Over Jeep® Wrangler 4xe Fires
Automaker Heads To U.S. District Court For Battery-Pack Fires...
Stellantis, the parent company of FCA US, LLC, finds itself embroiled in a legal tussle concerning safety issues with its Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited 4xe (JL) in the U.S. District Court in Detroit. The matter revolves around accusations that the company failed to adequately address a potential fire hazard linked to the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery packs. This lawsuit, initiated as a class action proposal, involves nine plaintiffs from seven states, all of whom are Wrangler 4xe owners.
The core contention of the lawsuit is that there’s a fire risk associated with the vehicle’s battery packs. The plaintiffs claim that Stellantis did not offer any effective solution to rectify this alleged defect. However, Stellantis counters this assertion, stating that necessary repairs are underway through its retail networks.
In November, FCA US announced a recall affecting 32,125 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4xe units in the U.S., alongside thousands more in Canada and globally. This recall was prompted by the identification of a fire hazard linked to the vehicle. Stellantis reported eight instances of vehicle fires occurring while the affected Jeeps were parked and turned off.
Stellantis proposed a fix, involving either a software update or, in cases where a specific error code was detected, a free replacement of the entire battery pack. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) documents reveal that Stellantis was set to begin informing dealers about the correction, with owners scheduled to receive notifications starting from March 7th.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue that Stellantis should have been aware of the potential defect due to a “history of problems” associated with the Samsung SDI batteries used in their packs. They seek compensation, including reimbursement of the vehicle purchase price and compensation for economic damages.
In response to these allegations, Stellantis maintains that it’s addressing the issue and is committed to ensuring the safety of its customers. The legal proceedings in the U.S. District Court in Detroit will likely shed more light on the matter as it unfolds.
Source: The Detroit News
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