Jeep Grand Cherokee Owners File Class Action Lawsuit Against FCA

Jeep Grand Cherokee owners filed a class action lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler yesterday for allegedly concealing a faulty shifter design. The issue has come to light recently after “Star Trek” actor Anton Yelchin died in an accident involving a 2015 Grand Cherokee.

The lawsuit claims FCA hid its shifter defect and accidents related to the problem. Not only that, owners lament that the “raft of negative publicity” around the issue has considerably hurt the resale value of their vehicles.

According to the suit, the flaw affects 811,000 models, including the 2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee as well as the 2012-2014 Chrysler 300 and 2012-2014 Dodge Charger.

The Grand Cherokee that pinned Yelchin against a wall while rolling away is affected by an ongoing recall issued in April. The recall involves drivers exiting the vehicle before shifting the transmission to “Park.” According to FCA, some drivers can get confused by the setup of the electronic shifter. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports shifter confusion played a role in 117 alleged crashes.

Fiat Chrysler is keeping mum on the lawsuit. But it says software upgrades will be available on 1.1 million recalled Jeeps by the end of this month.

Meanwhile, FCA has issued a recall for more than 13,000 Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte models in the U.S. The recall involves a similar shifter issue.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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