Update: This lawsuit has since reached settlement.
A class action lawsuit alleges that some Dodge Dart cars with certain 6-speed manual transmissions should have been recalled because problems with the clutch pedals may cause vehicle stalling.
The lawsuit represents those who bought or leased these cars from authorized dealerships in California, and its class vehicles include 2013–2015 Dodge Dart cars with Fiat C635 manual transmissions built on or before November 12, 2014.
The 2013–2015 Dodge Dart cars are allegedly equipped with clutch pedals that lose pressure, stick to the floor, and fail to engage or disengage gears. As a result, the drivers are blocked from shifting gears and the Dodge Dart cars end up stalling.
According to two drivers who filed the initial complaint, the cars would stall, fail to accelerate, and experience premature transmission failure. Fiat Chrysler allegedly knew about the clutch pedal problems present in 2013–2015 Dodge Dart cars, as it had issued technical service bulletins (TSBs) to its dealerships.
Fiat Chrysler says it created a Dodge Dart extended warranty for degraded clutch reservoir hoses and contaminated hydraulic fluid. Dealers would replace the hydraulic clutch master cylinders and reservoir hoses. Fiat Chrysler would also reimburse expenses if the clutches were replaced.
However, the lawsuit alleges that Fiat Chrysler simply swaps out these components with equally defective replacement parts.
The lawsuit was initially filed in early 2018, but a judge had denied certification. However, the Ninth Circuit reversed that decision in July 2019 and remanded the case. The judge then granted certification. Fiat Chrysler tried several times to get the class action decertified. The plaintiffs have since amended their claims, many of which involved what they suspected to be the root cause of the defect.
To learn if your Dodge Dart has been recalled, review our Guide To Researching Recalls. If your vehicle has received a repair related to a recall and still experiences recurring problems, learn how recall-related repairs can affect lemon law cases.
Sources: CarComplaints.com, Top Class Actions
Lemon Law Help by Knight Law Group is an automotive lemon law firm that exclusively practices in California. If you are a California resident who purchased or leased a defective vehicle from a licensed dealership in California, we may be able to help you get rid of your potential lemon and recover significant cash compensation. Model year restrictions apply: 2017–Present vehicle models only.
However, we cannot help those who reside outside of California or purchased their vehicle outside of California unless they are active duty members of the Armed Forces, nor will we be able to refer those to a lemon law firm in their states.
To learn more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights, visit our guide on the California Lemon Law for more information.
