— A Jeep Gladiator fire lawsuit will continue in court after the judge denied Fiat Chrysler's motion to compel arbitration.
The fire lawsuit relates to an alleged problem with the power steering pump electrical connectors that have caused other fires.
This lawsuit involves a 2022 Jeep Gladiator that caught fire on July 5, 2024, with the Jeep parked in a driveway.
The Jeep lawsuit was filed by Illinois plaintiffs Sandra and James Teuber after Mr. Teuber noticed black smoke coming from the front of the home. He ran around to the front of his home and saw the Jeep Gladiator burning, with the Jeep parked about 10 feet from the attached garage.
The plaintiff called 911 and got his wife and kids away from the home, then tried to put out the fire with a garden hose, which failed. The Jeep was completely covered in flames when the fire department arrived and was melting the garage door and trim.
"The fire department crew attempted to extinguish the fire, but they were unable to access the fuel tank. Firefighting foam was used to keep the fire under control. The fire department called a tow truck to lift the vehicle to gain access to the underside. The crew was then able to extinguish the fire, and the vehicle was towed from the scene." — Jeep fire lawsuit
The plaintiffs complain 20 gallons of gasoline leaked onto the property and the fire department used 35 gallons of firefighting foam and 3,800 gallons of water to extinguish the fire. And the plaintiffs claim the foam contains chemicals that "are highly toxic, and are hazardous to human health and the environment."
According to the lawsuit, the Jeep fire was caused by the power steering pump electrical connector which is the focus of a federal investigation. Out of an estimated 781,000 Jeeps, the lawsuit alleges there have been at least 10 fires.
Chrysler argues the case shouldn't be in court because of a binding arbitration agreement between the plaintiffs and FCA. But the plaintiffs claim they never agreed to arbitration when they signed the lease papers, and for now the judge has ruled against Chrysler.
The Jeep Gladiator fire lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan: Sandra Teuber et al., v. FCA US LLC.