— A Chrysler Uconnect lawsuit alleges 2017-2019 Chrysler Pacifica and 2017-2019 Chrysler 300 vehicles are equipped with infotainment systems that freeze, go black, and lose their navigation and backup camera functions.
One of the two plaintiffs says the Uconnect system malfunctioned within two months of owning his vehicle, with the screen freezing when the vehicle was in REVERSE. This froze the backup camera image even when the vehicle was moving forward.
The plaintiff also claims the Uconnect screen turned black and rebooted while driving the vehicle.
The plaintiff took the vehicle to a Fiat Chrysler (FCA US) dealer for repairs when the odometer read 3,277 miles, but technicians couldn't replicate the Uconnect problem.
The Uconnect system allegedly kept having problems, causing the plaintiff to take it back to the dealership when the vehicle had 14,929 miles. This time a software update was performed, but the plaintiff says the infotainment system still wasn't repaired.
According to the plaintiff, he took the vehicle to a different Chrysler dealer when the vehicle had 26,372 miles. But just as with the previous dealer, the plaintiff was told technicians couldn't do anything unless they witnessed the Uconnect malfunction.
The lawsuit claims the plaintiff recorded a video of his Uconnect system malfunctioning and showed the video to Chrysler technicians, but no repairs were performed.
The Chrysler Uconnect lawsuit says Chrysler released the fourth generation of the infotainment system in the 2015 Chrysler 300 called the Uconnect 8.4A and Uconnect 8.4AN systems, both with 8.4-inch touchscreens.
FCA expanded the Uconnect system in the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica to include Uconnect Theater, a rear entertainment system using the Uconnect technology and two 10-inch touchscreens located on the backs of the front seat headrests.
FCA allegedly issued at least two technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the first generation Uconnect infotainment systems, seven for the second generation and 14 for the third generation Uconnect systems.
The fourth generation Uconnect has allegedly been subject to at least 17 TSBs, manufacturer communications or recalls.
The Uconnect lawsuit alleges Chrysler presented the bulletins as Uconnect upgrades, but the plaintiffs claim the actions prove the infotainment systems keep getting worse.
According to the class action lawsuit, Chrysler allegedly knew about the defective infotainment systems when the vehicles were first sold. The automaker also allegedly knew the Uconnect systems would need frequent software updates and expensive screen replacements.
The Chrysler Uconnect lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan: Pistorio, et al., v. FCA US LLC.
The plaintiffs are represented by the Miller Law Firm, P.C., Berger Montague PC, Capstone Law APC, and Haffner Law PC.
