Law firm says new recall is a “smoking gun” following a class action that called out the fuel pump defect in Dodge Ram trucks
Following a U.S. class-action lawsuit regarding a CP4 fuel pump defect in Fiat Chrysler and Cummins Dodge Ram Heavy Duty trucks, the automaker and its parent company Stellantis have now recalled nearly 250,000 Heavy Duty Ram diesel trucks globally, according to attorneys at Hagens Berman.
The law firm’s consumer lawsuit called out FCA and Stellantis for its 2018 – 2020 Cummins-equipped diesel trucks containing a defective CP4 fuel pump that poses an “imminent safety risk to the public,” according to the complaint. Today’s recall affects the same 2019 – 2020 models.
FCA’s Recall a “Smoking Gun”
The vehicles affected by the recall are 2019 and 2020 Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty pickups and Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cab trucks that are equipped with 6.7-litre Cummins turbodiesel engines. The recall covers an estimated 222,410 vehicles in the U.S., 20,539 in Canada and 3,525 in other markets outside of North America, according to news reports.
“In our view, Fiat Chrysler’s massive global recall of the same trucks included in our lawsuit is a smoking gun,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney representing affected truck owners.
“The important part we want truck owners, regulators and the public to know is that this defect poses a significant risk to the safety of drivers of Dodge Ram trucks and others sharing the road,” Berman added. “Failure of the fuel system from this defect causes sudden and unexpected shutoff of the vehicle’s engine while in motion and an inability to restart the vehicle – serious events that could lead to injury or fatalities.”
About the Class Action Against FCA
The lawsuit filed Oct. 22, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan states that the defect leaves vehicle owners at risk of sudden and unexpected engine shutoff while in motion. The lawsuit accuses the automaker and engine manufacturer of colluding to conceal the critical fuel pump defect and its safety risk affecting roughly 600,000 owners and lessors.
Here’s how the fuel pump defect works:
- The CP4 pump uses fuel for lubricating the interior cam, pumping cylinders and rollers, so if fuel used is not sufficiently lubricated – which most U.S. diesel is not – the cam and rollers wear against each other generating tiny metal shavings.
- The metal shavings disperse throughout the fuel injection system, causing catastrophic risk: “failure can occur as early as mile one, as the fuel injection disintegration process begins at the very first fill of the tank and start of the engine, with pump components beginning to deteriorate and dispersing metal shavings throughout the internal engine components and fuel supply system.”
The lawsuit says FCA, Stellantis and Cummins knew Bosch’s CP4 pump design was incompatible with American diesel fuel, and costs to repair each vehicle are at least $10,000, according to attorneys.
Hagens Berman has filed six other class-action lawsuits against Ford, FCA and GM concerning the dangerous CP4 fuel injection pump in other diesel trucks.
Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation law firm with a tenacious drive for achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. Since its founding in 1993, the firm’s determination has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of “Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firm,” MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211117006253/en/
Contacts
Ashley Klann
ashleyk@hbsslaw.com
206-268-9318
