A lawsuit filed in January 2022 seeks to bring a class action against FCA US LLC for an alleged defect in its 2014 or newer Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, or Ram vehicles equipped with the 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine.
As alleged in the complaint, the plaintiffs assert the engine has defective rocker arms (the component that opens and closes the intake and exhaust vales on the combustion chamber), lifters (cylinders that transfer force to the rocker arm), and related components, as well defects in the engine control module software controlling the timing and function of the lifters. The defects cause those components to prematurely fail and cause issues including a ticking noise from the engine, engine misfires, decreased engine performance, loss of power, premature engine wear of internal components, and catastrophic engine failure. The rocker arms and associated valve train components can cost from $1,500 to $4,500, while a new engine can cost more than $6,000.
The complaint further contends the defendant, FCA, has known of this defect since 2013, but also knows there is no permanent repair and simply directs its dealerships to merely replace certain parts with equally defective parts, while informing consumers their vehicles were fixed.
The potentially affected vehicles listed in the lawsuit are:
- 2014-2016 Chrysler Town & Country
- 2014-2020 Dodge Challenger
- 2014-2020 Dodge Charger
- 2014-2020 Dodge Durango
- 2014-2020 Dodge Grand Caravan
- 2014- 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- 2014-2020 Chrysler 300
- 2014-2020 Jeep Wrangler
- 2014-2020 Chrysler 200
- 2014-2020 Ram 1500
- 2016- 2020 Chrysler Pacifica
The plaintiffs raise legal claims including breach of warranty, fraud, unjust enrichment, and violation of state consumer laws. The remedies sought include restitution, damages, and reimbursement and compensation of the full purchase price for any repairs or replacements bought by a named plaintiff or class member to remedy the alleged defect.
The case is Etienne Maugain, et al. v. FCA US LLC, case number 1:22-cv-00116, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.
