— Owners of Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe hybrid vehicles will have to wait for the results of a class action lawsuit which has been paused in court.
According to the battery fire lawsuit, 2020–2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe and 2022–2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid electric vehicles catch fire and can explode due to battery defects.
The class action alleges customers cannot use their hybrid systems, and those systems were a big reason the plaintiffs purchased their Jeep hybrids.
The lawsuit further claims the Jeeps lost their values because of the stigma of being "unexploded" bombs.
Fiat Chrysler issued a Jeep 4xe battery fire recall in 2023 for model year 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe vehicles. Jeep customers were told to park outside and warned not to recharge their batteries.
Jeep 4xe hybrid batteries were replaced but the battery fire lawsuit claims the replacement batteries were defective.
Another Jeep 4xe hybrid battery recall was announced in 2024 for Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe vehicles.
But the class action lawsuit says the Jeep 4xe recalls failed.
Jeep Hybrid Battery Fire Lawsuit Paused
Fiat Chrysler argues the 4xe class action shouldn't be in court because the plaintiffs signed agreements to arbitrate any claims against the automaker.
Chrysler told the judge the warranty booklets clearly contain the arbitration agreements, titled “Voluntary Binding Arbitration Provision.” The agreements also provide a 30-day period in which consumers may opt out of arbitration.
FCA also argues the other plaintiffs signed purchase or lease agreements with their dealerships containing arbitration provisions.
The plaintiffs argue they cannot be held to arbitration because they didn't know about the agreements.
The claims from 15 plaintiffs have been sent to arbitration, while the claims from eight plaintiffs were not. However, the judge stayed the entire class action until arbitration proceedings are complete.
"The record supports a finding that FCA satisfied its initial burden to provide sufficient evidence for a reasonable jury to find that a contract exists, and that the Plaintiffs failed to show that they lacked adequate notice of the arbitration clause or that they did not assent to its terms through their conduct." — Judge Brandy R. McMillion
The Jeep 4xe battery fire lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Southern Division): Frisch, et al., v. FCA US LLC.
The plaintiffs are represented by The Miller Law Firm PC, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, Slack Davis Sanger, LLP, and Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP.