Stellantis already has one lawsuit on its hands with a class-action suit filed regarding plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler 4xes catching fire. It's not the only one they have to worry about though, or FCA US more specifically. Another class-action lawsuit was filed in Texas just a couple of weeks ago, but this one has to do with seats.
It alleges that seats in about 2 million Dodge and Chrysler models, including the Charger, Challenger, and 300, have a potentially dangerous defect. Furthermore, it alleges that the automaker and its supplier, Lear, covered it up and continued selling the products. Per the lawsuit, that's where the claims of conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud come in.
As noted by Car Complaints, the allegation is that the companies were using the mail service and other public communications to fraudulently represent the product (assuming the companies knowingly hid a defect). If that turns out to be true, it could be fraud.
Here's The Alleged Issue
The lawsuit claims the height adjuster is defective in seats for 2011 to 2023 Dodge Challengers, Chargers, and Chrysler 300s; 2011 to 2017 Chrysler 200s; and 2013 to 2016 Dodge Darts. The documentation shows images of the part, and it claims that one of the mounts is not strong enough to resist the forces in a rear-end collision. As a result, the seat could suddenly lower during a collision, meaning that the driver and passenger would no longer be properly supported and are at risk of injury or death.
The lawsuit goes on to show images from some independent testing done by firms hired by the primary plaintiffs, which you can see in the actual lawsuit filing shared by ClassAction.org. The images claim to show the suspected bracket bending dramatically and in such a way that it wouldn't be supporting the seat correctly. The tests performed were reportedly equivalent to 25-mph rear collisions.
That's All The Evidence Listed In The Filing
While the photos look concerning, they're about all that's shown in the lawsuit as evidence. No recalls were ever put out for faulty seat components by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There's no mention of any specific injuries or incidents that occurred to the initial plaintiffs, or anyone else that has signed on to the lawsuit. No technical service bulletins or other paperwork are mentioned either that might indicate that either Chrysler or Lear was aware of an issue, though some of that could come up in court.
Source: ClassAction.org, PacerMonitor via CarComplaints, Road & Track
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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
