The lawsuit alleges that Chrysler knew about and fraudulently concealed the defectiveness of its Totally Integrated Power Module - TIPM, for short.
Chrysler sought as far back as 2005 to hide the magnitude of the TIPM defect from consumers and initiated only limited vehicle recalls, the complaint alleges.
Despite knowing about the defect, Chrysler continued installing faulty TIPMs in vehicles until the 2014 model year, according to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The TIPM is an integral component of many Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models on the road today, Weitz & Luxenberg said. The device controls and distributes power to all of a vehicle's electrical functions.
Prone to sudden failure, a vehicle's TIPM poses a serious safety issue, placing the driver and passengers at risk of harm, the complaint indicates.
A failed TIPM causes malfunctioning of airbags, headlights, brakes, horns, wipers, windows, door locks and other components that rely on electrical functions, Weitz & Luxenberg explained.
Worse, a failed TIPM can cause a vehicle's engine to shut down unexpectedly while driving at high speeds, the firm said.
"Millions of consumers who have bought into this brand have suffered harm because of Chrysler and its faulty Totally Integrated Power Module," the complaint alleges.
Owners of defective TIPM-equipped Chrysler vehicles suffer economic losses in part because the device is expensive to replace, costing upward of $1,000, Weitz & Luxenberg said.
Also, because of the sheer number of vehicles requiring a new TIPM, consumers are forced to make do without their vehicles for many days and even weeks while their vehicles sit in the shop and wait for a replacement TIPM to be shipped, the firm said.
Adding insult to injury, the defect caused many motorists to incur unnecessary costs to replace non-defective parts that malfunctioned because of the faulty TIPM, Weitz & Luxenberg noted.
Participating in the class-action with Weitz & Luxenberg is the law firm of Baron & Budd.
*/ A previous version of this press release indicated that Fiat Chrysler is party to the action filed by Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is not named in the complaint. Chrysler Group, LLC, the defendant in the suit, is a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler. /*
About Weitz & Luxenberg:
Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C., is among the nation's leading and most readily recognized personal injury law firms. Weitz & Luxenberg's numerous litigation areas include: mesothelioma, defective medicines and devices, environmental pollutants, consumer protection, accidents, personal injury and medical malpractice. Victims of accidents are invited to rely on Weitz & Luxenberg's more than 25 years of experience handling such cases. You can contact the firm's Client Relations department at 800-476-6070 or at clientrelations@weitzlux.com.
More information: http://www.weitzluxenberg.com/ .
*/ CORRECTION: this updated full text release supercedes and replaces the original release issued Nov. 13, 2014. /*
NEWS SOURCE: Weitz and Luxenberg, P.C. :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.