— A Jeep windshield class action lawsuit alleges Wranglers and Gladiators are equipped with defective windshields that crack, chip and fracture.
The lawsuit alleges the 2016-present Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Wrangler windshields create an "increased risk of accident, injury, or death."
Cracked and fractured Jeep windshields allegedly cause drivers problems with visibility and decrease the structural integrity of the Jeeps.
According to the windshield class action lawsuit, the Wrangler and Gladiator windshields crack for no reason or due to conditions that would not cause a non-defective windshield to fail.
The plaintiffs claim the Jeep windshield can crack due to simply using the defrosters or from small pebbles striking the glass.
"Plaintiffs and the other members of the Class have experienced broken windshields caused by minimal or no impact, or caused by temperature variations between the inside and outside of the vehicle which is to be expected during various times of the year in most climates." — Jeep windshield class action lawsuit
Jeep Cracked Windshield Lawsuit — The Plaintiffs
New Jersey plaintiff Jacob Reinkraut owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and on January 3, 2023, he was driving his Jeep when he noticed the windshield was cracked. He says he did not see anything impact the windshield, but his insurance company recommended he contact an auto glass company.
Plaintiff Reinkraut says he paid $625 for a replacement windshield.
North Carolina plaintiff Steve Smith owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe, and in the Fall of 2022, Smith says he pulled his Jeep out of the garage on a 75-degree day and stood chatting with a neighbor for 10 or 15 minutes with the engine off.
When he got into the Wrangler he noticed the windshield was cracked.
With a $1,000 insurance deductible, he had to pay about $800 to have the Jeep windshield replaced.
Then in the Spring of 2023, he contends a gnat hit the windshield and caused a chip to develop which was filled in by an auto glass repair company.
Florida plaintiff Matthew Chapman owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator Overland, but in the December 2022 he saw his Jeep windshield was cracked in two places. The plaintiff asserts nothing hit the windshield to create the cracks.
The plaintiff tried to have the Jeep dealership replace the windshield, but he was told the dealership did not deal with glass. He says he called an auto glass company which came to his home and replaced the windshield. His insurance company covered the cost of the repair.
The class action alleges Fiat Chrysler (FCA) allegedly knew or should have known the windshields were defective before the Jeeps were first sold.
According to the Jeep windshield lawsuit, the statute of limitations should be suspended (tolled) because the automaker allegedly concealed what it knew about the defective windshields.
Chrysler still doesn't warn owners about the alleged faults and dangers of the Jeep windshields and how the vehicles will continue to need expensive windshield repairs and replacements. FCA also has a duty to warn customers how the allegedly defective windshields will diminish the resale values.
The Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator windshield class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey: Reinkraut, et al., v. FCA US LLC.
The plaintiffs are represented by Nagel Rice, LLP, and Joseph Santoli, Esq.
