Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is now facing a multi-million-dollar class-action lawsuit over the
recalled shifter design in the 2014 and
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the 2012 to
2014 Dodge Charger and
Chrysler 300.
Grand Cherokee owners, galvanized by
Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin’s fatal accident, filed the suit.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the owners allege that FCA concealed the shifter’s problems.
On top of restitution, the class action suit is demanding a court order force FCA to issue a do-not-drive warning to owners of affected vehicles until it fixes the problem. FCA started distributing a software fix to
dealers last week – according to the WSJ, the update will add more warnings about the shifter’s position and will automatically kick the vehicle into park if the driver steps out.
FCA’s shifter problems have been bubbling under the surface as part of the company’s recall issues. The US government dinged FCA with a $105 million fine last year for its recall practices (or lack thereof) last year, but things have exploded this week after Yelchin’s death. The 27-year-old, best known for playing Ensign Pavel Chekov in the rebooted
Star Trek film series, was killed after his 2015 Grand Cherokee rolled down his driveway and pinned the actor against a security gate. According to
Jeep CEO Mike Manley, the company will dispatch engineers to analyze Yelchin’s vehicle.
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