— A Ram 1500 EcoDiesel class action lawsuit settlement has been preliminarily approved by a federal judge after more than five years in court.
The Ram EcoDiesel lawsuit involves the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers that could cause truck fires.
The Ram 1500 class action lawsuit 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."
Chrysler agreed to settle the class action to put an end to the expensive litigation, but denies all claims of liability and wrongdoing.
FCA has always argued an October 2019 recall completely repaired the trucks for free.
The class action lawsuit was filed in August 2020 and later consolidated with three Ram 1500 EcoDiesel class actions in January 2021. Some claims were dismissed while the judge allowed others to continue.
According to the class action, Fiat Chrysler supposedly knew in 2014 the EGR coolers were defective, but instead of repairing the trucks before they were sold, Chrysler allegedly covered-up the defects to sell the trucks even though it knew they were defective and would break down or catch fire.
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.
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Lawsuit Settlement
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel truck customers should read the settlement closely because it may not help them.
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Lawsuit Warranty Extension
Chrysler has agreed to provide a five-year 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.
Keep in mind the EGR coolers were likely repaired or replaced in 2019 or shortly after.
If the five-year EGR cooler warranty extension period has not ended for a customer and the new replacement cooler fails, a Ram 1500 customer can take their truck to a dealership for a free repair.
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Reimbursement Program
Chrysler offered reimbursements when the October 2019 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel recall began. However, the settlement says a customer may be reimbursed "for out-of-pocket tow truck, rental car, and coolant costs that relate to a failed EGR cooler."
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Truck Fire
A customer may submit a claim to receive $3,000 if a Ram 1500 EcoDiesel truck experienced a fire caused by a failed EGR cooler.
The 26 plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit will receive $5,000 each, and the lawyers representing the plaintiffs will receive $2,450,000.
The judge still needs to grant final approval to the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel class action lawsuit. The final fairness hearing will be held March 17, 2026.
The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel 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.