— A Dodge Demon hood scoop lawsuit alleges California owners and lessees of 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon cars should have been told the hood scoops warp and lose their original paint.
California plaintiff Joe Peralta purchased a Dodge Demon in August 2018 for $166,618.07, believing the car had 840 horsepower and a hood scoop that wouldn't warp.
But shortly after purchasing the car the plaintiff received the “Dodge Demon Crate” and learned the car allegedly had only 808 horsepower. The Crate contained some of the components necessary to achieve the advertised 840 horsepower.
The plaintiff says he was forced to install the needed components, but only after paying about $250. In addition, the plaintiff says it was only after he purchased the Dodge Demon that he learned the 840 horsepower was only possible by using racing fuel.
The Dodge Demon hood scoop lawsuit was filed because of what allegedly happened after only 20 miles of driving. According to the plaintiff, the hood scoop was warped and the dealership said there were no available repairs.
But about a year later the plaintiff was informed Fiat Chrysler (FCA US) had created a fix (Service Bulletin 23-033-19) for the hood scoop problems. The plaintiff says he had the repairs performed but the so-called fix made things worse than before.
"For starters, his once matte-finished Dodge Demon now has an entirely different finish. In addition to the non-matching finish, Mr. Peralta’s Dodge Demon now has a different hood scoop insert. Unbelievably, and upon closer inspection of the Dodge Demon, it is evident that numerous holes were drilled into the hood of the vehicle to replace the original inserts." - Dodge Demon hood scoop lawsuit
According to the class action, Chrysler added insult to injury because just one week after the “fix,” the hood scoop insert allegedly began “bowing down” again. The plaintiff claims he drives less than he did and is forced to manually press the hood scoop insert back into place after every use.
The new hood scoop insert is also allegedly causing damage to his Demon’s hood and the plaintiff is stuck with a hood and hood scoop completely different than the original.
Chrysler allegedly concealed defects in the 45-square-inch Air-Grabber hood scoop which causes sagging, buckling, bulging and a vibrating hood scoop insert. This allegedly warps the insert and strips, cracks and chips the original factory paint which allows the hood to rust.
According to the Dodge Demon hood scoop lawsuit, drivers started complaining as early as March 2018 about sagging and buckling hood scoops and the resulting paint damage.
The alleged hood scoop problems cause the Demons to lose their values and the so-called fix turns the cars into different versions than advertised.
The Dodge Demon hood scoop lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: Peralta, et al., v. FCA US LLC, et al.
The plaintiff is represented by the Law Offices of Connor Olson, and Tiangay Kemokai Law, P.C.