- A settlement has been reached more than seven years after the class action lawsuit was filed.
- Impacted Ram models are equipped with 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engines.
- Each of the 17 plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit will receive $5,000.
A settlement has been preliminary approved for owners of certain Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 models equipped with faulty Cummins diesel engines. However, the settlement will only set Cummins $4.8 million back, while Chrysler will need to cough up just $1.2 million.
The lawsuit was first filed in 2017 and alleges that hundreds of thousands of Ram trucks in the U.S. were equipped with 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engines that emit illegal levels of emissions, often require expensive repairs, and do not hit their claimed gas mileage figures.
Read: Over 200,000 Dodge Durango And Ram HD Trucks Have A Stability Control That Could Be MIA
While Chrysler has denied all allegations, it is claimed that 2013-2015 Ram 2500 and 3500 diesel trucks were fitted with catalytic reduction systems that did not work as designed. The plaintiffs had been seeking compensation for the purchase price of their trucks and to recover the cost of overpayment for repairs, as well as the decrease in value of their vehicles.
After the lawsuit dragged on for seven years, the carmaker decided to settle because of the “substantial expense, inconvenience, burden and disruption of continued litigation,” Car Complaints reports.
Through the settlement, Cummins will pay $4.8 million, and Chrysler will pay $1.2 million into a fund to cover the cost of everything, including attorney fees and expenses. The final amount to be paid to each truck customer will vary “but is estimated to be approximately $100.40 per Eligible Truck.”
Interestingly, the settlement will only benefit those who purchased or leased a new 2013, 2014, or 2015 Ram 2500 or 3500 between November 26, 2014, and July 13, 2016. Additionally, the settlement only covers owners in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.
The lawsuit was filed by 17 Ram owners and each will receive $5,000 in compensation through the settlement. The lawyers representing the clients are seeking at least $1.8 million for their work on the case. A final fairness hearing for the case has been scheduled for October 10, 2024.
