— A Dodge Viper class action lawsuit is dismissed after the California owner of a 2015 Viper claimed he got ripped off by purchasing the Mopar Vehicle Protection Plan for $2,600.
Plaintiff Ebby Bakhtiar says his Dodge Viper had problems with the power windows, the gas cap latch and with fuel economy issues.
The Chrysler Dodge Viper class action lawsuit says the plaintiff purchased his 2015 Viper in May 2015 and in 2017 he also purchased the Mopar Vehicle Protection Plan, an extended warranty offered by the automaker for $2,600.
The Viper lawsuit alleges the plaintiff was told if there was a problem with the car, it should be brought to the same dealership that sold the extended warranty. But if that wasn't possible, the Mopar Vehicle Protection Plan service was available from any Chrysler dealer in Canada, Guam, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S.
According to the Dodge class action, the Viper needed service in 2019 but the dealership allegedly said it would not honor the Mopar Vehicle Protection Plan because Chrysler allegedly wouldn't reimburse the dealer for the work.
Additionally, the dealership allegedly couldn't perform repairs because the dealer didn't have any "Certified Viper Techs that could work on repairs.”
The plaintiff alleges his Viper was never repaired because the Protection Plan had a requirement that only "Certified Viper Techs could service Plaintiff's vehicle and did not require its FCA Dealers to employ the services of Certified Viper Techs to honor the terms of the Service Contract."
Mr. Bakhtiar says he wasted hours contacting several Dodge dealers around Los Angeles but never found any with certified Dodge Viper technicians.
Considering his Dodge Viper allegedly needed about $3,100 in repairs, the class action lawsuit alleges the $2,600 Mopar Vehicle Protection Plan was a complete waste of time and money.
Dodge Viper Class Action Lawsuit Dismissed
The judge had already dismissed claims against the dealership that sold the Viper and tossed claims against Mopar Motors. This left only Fiat Chrysler as the sole defendant, and the judge allowed a few claims to proceed from the Viper class action lawsuit.
According to the judge, the plaintiff adequately asserted he received an extended warranty that was less valuable than he was promised.
Additionally, the judge found evidence the automaker said Viper owners could receive service anywhere in the U.S., yet they couldn't.
However, on February 1 Chrysler notified the court about an individual settlement between the automaker and the plaintiff.
"The claims of Plaintiff Ebby Bakhtiar have settled on an individual basis. In accordance with Local Rule 16-15.7, the parties will memorialize the terms of the settlement in a timely fashion, and a notice of dismissal will be filed upon execution of a formal settlement agreement."
The Dodge Viper class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: Ebby Bakhtiar v. FCA US LLC.
The plaintiff is represented by Girardi Keese.
