—
A Ram 1500 EcoDiesel exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler lawsuit settlement has been reached about five years after the class action was filed.
The EcoDiesel settlement includes:
“All individuals who purchased or leased in the United States a Model Year 2014-2019 Dodge Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Truck manufactured between June 12, 2013 and October 23, 2019.”
Fiat Chrysler says it settled to end the expensive five-year litigation and the automaker denies all liability and allegations of wrongdoing.
The class action is another example of a lawsuit that wasn’t filed until after the automaker announced a recall to repair the vehicles for free.
According to Chrysler, a Ram 1500 EcoDiesel recall issued before the lawsuit was filed took care of all the customers, and all the trucks were repaired for free.
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel EGR Cooler Recall
Chrysler announced the 2014–2019 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel exhaust gas recirculation cooler recall in October 2019. Engineers found the EGR cooler was “susceptible to thermal fatigue . . . [which] may cause the cooler to crack internally over time.”
The EGR cooler could develop micro-cracks and allow coolant to leak which had caused a “small number of fires” and four minor injuries from people trying to extinguish the engine compartment fires.
Nearly 108,000 Ram trucks were recalled in the U.S., and truck owners were told the main symptom of a problem was a loss of coolant. Ram 1500 drivers were told to monitor their coolant levels until dealers could collect replacement parts.
To repair the EcoDiesel problem, new non-defective EGR coolers were installed and the intake manifolds were replaced if they were damaged. In addition, Ram 1500 owners would be reimbursed if they paid their own money for EGR cooler repairs/replacements.
But truck owners complained they took their vehicles to dealerships months after the EGR cooler recall was announced only to be told replacement parts were not available.
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel EGR Cooler Settlement
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel truck customers should pay close attention to these settlement terms because it’s possible the settlement will not benefit every customer.
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel EGR Cooler Warranty Extension
Chrysler has agreed to provide a warranty extension to cover the cost to repair a failed EGR Cooler for five years from the date the old cooler was replaced with a new non-defective cooler under the October 2019 recall.
This means if the new replacement EGR cooler failed within five years of the date it was installed, a customer can be reimbursed if they paid out-of-pocket costs for the replacement cooler.
A Ram 1500 EcoDiesel truck customer will need to provide proof of the repair and proof of payment.
If the five-year EGR cooler warranty extension period has not concluded for a customer and the new replacement cooler fails, a Ram 1500 customer can take their truck to an FCA dealership for a free repair.
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel EGR Cooler Reimbursement Program
Fiat Chrysler offered reimbursements when the October 2019 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel recall began, but the settlement says a customer may submit a claim to be reimbursed “for out-of-pocket tow truck, rental car, and coolant costs that relate to a failed EGR cooler.”
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel EGR Cooler Fire Claim
If a Ram 1500 EcoDiesel truck experienced a fire that was caused by a failed EGR cooler, the customer may submit a claim to receive $3,000.
According to the settlement:
“The acceptable proof of a fire is a police report, insurance report or fire department report and the acceptable proof of cause is a police report, insurance report, fire department report, or vehicle repair record that mentions an EGR cooler or origin in the area of an EGR cooler.”
According to the EGR cooler settlement, these customers who filed the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel class action will receive $5,000 each:
Bradley Crawford, Christian Christensen, Glenn Brainard, Jacob Lane, Russell Raley, Hank Vanderhulst, Michael O’Brien, Dennis Sullivan, Matthew Ogren, Shaun Graham, Brandon Bailey, Gregory Briggs, Kara Gulbranson, Derek Griesel, Patrick Phelan, James Deale, Paul Maier, Nathan Felker, Greg Gouker, Leroy Mault, Dennis Diaz, Reyes Vargas, Gary Grendahl, Kevin Hunting, Justin Ewing, and Kwaterski Construction, Inc.
And the settlement says the lawyers representing customers will receive $2,450,000.
The judge still needs to grant preliminary and final approval to the EGR cooler settlement before anything is official.
The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel EGR cooler class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan: Bradley Crawford, et al., v. FCA US, LLC, Case No. 2:20-cv-1234.
The plaintiffs are represented by The Miller Law Firm, P.C., Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, and Robins Kaplan, L.L.P.