The fallout surrounding FCA’s 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engine continues as the company has received final approval of multiple consent decrees and a class-action lawsuit settlement.
Starting with the latter, people who bought or leased a 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee or Ram 1500 pickup with the EcoDiesel engine will be able to receive compensation.
Original owners will be able to receive a $3,075 payment and second-hand owners will be eligible for $2,460. Lessees, former lessees and former owners will only get up to $990.
In order to get the money, former owners and lessees must submit valid claims by August 1st, 2019. Current owners have until February 3rd, 2021 to submit their claim, but they’ll need to get their vehicle software updated by May 3rd, 2021 to get the money.
Speaking of the software update, it will be available within the next 15 days. The new software isn’t expected to change any “key vehicle attributes” such as fuel economy, performance or reliability. The fix should be relatively quick, but FCA will provide a free loaner vehicle if the repair is scheduled to take longer than three hours or is not completed within three hours.
People who own(ed) or lease(d) one of the affected models can learn more about the settlement by visiting Ecodieselsettlement.com. They can also submit a claim on the site and track their approval process.
Also Read: FCA To Pay $800 Million For Its Dirty EcoDiesel Engines
Besides signing off on the class action lawsuit, the court approved consent decrees between FCA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, the California Air Resources Board and all 50 states.
As part of the agreement with the EPA and CARB, FCA will “apprise an independent auditor of the status of various initiatives within the company, such as training advancements and certification process improvements.” However, the automaker was quick to point out the “settlements contain no findings of wrongdoing, nor admission of any wrongdoing, by FCA US.”
