— A Ram 1500 EcoDiesel class action lawsuit in Canada alleges the trucks can go up in smoke and flames because of defective exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers.
The class action lawsuit includes all Quebec current and former owners and lessees of 2014-2019 Ram 1500 and Ram 1500 Classic trucks equipped with 3-liter EcoDiesel engines.
The trucks are allegedly equipped with defective EGR coolers susceptible to thermal fatigue that causes internal cracks and coolant leaks. Coolant can leak into the intake manifolds and cause engine fires, something the plaintiff claims occurred to his truck.
The plaintiff says he purchased a 2016 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel in 2019, but in June 2020 he received a letter about an EGR cooler recall. The plaintiff called the Chrysler dealer and was told no repairs were available yet and a driver should monitor the coolant level.
The plaintiff claims he called the dealer about nine times, but in November the Ram 1500 allegedly caught fire as the plaintiff was driving on the highway. (photo above)
According to the class action, the Ram 1500 owner went to the dealership to get information but the dealer allegedly refused to give him the requested information about his truck.
The lawsuit says the owner not only lost the truck, but also the contents inside the vehicle and four new tires.
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Truck Recall
An EGR cooler in an EcoDiesel engine is constantly exposed to high heat and is used to lower the temperature of the exhaust gases that are recirculated by the EGR system. But a cracked EGR cooler can allow preheated vaporized coolant into the EGR system, causing combustion within the intake manifold.
Fiat Chrysler (FCA US) issued recalls in Canada and the U.S. in October, but customers were told "the remedy for this condition is not currently available." Ram 1500 owners were told Chrysler was working on a fix and truck owners would be contacted when repairs were available.
According to the lawsuit, the automaker falsely created an expectation a fix would be available soon for truck owners. Instead, Canadian Ram 1500 EcoDiesel owners and lessees are allegedly routinely told repair parts aren't available.
Chrysler allegedly made false statements about the reliability of the EcoDiesel engines and the Ram 1500 trucks, and allegedly deceived customers because the trucks were not durable as advertised.
The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel class action lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of Quebec Canada: A.S. v. FCA CANADA Inc., et al.
The plaintiff is represented by Lex Group Inc.
