- The taillights are prone to water damage, which can short out part or all of the unit.
- The lawsuit claims the defect poses a “substantial safety risk” to passengers.
- The plaintiffs argue some owners face repair bills up to $2,000 to fix the issue.
When you think of vehicle defects, you probably imagine something like a cracked engine block or a busted transmission, and not a taillight that might set your car on fire. But that’s exactly the issue at the heart of a class action lawsuit filed in Delaware.
The suit alleges that the so-called ‘racetrack’ LED taillights in 2014-2023 Dodge Durango models are prone to water damage, which could eventually cause the lights to fail entirely. Worse yet, the water intrusion is said to trigger short circuits in critical electrical components, creating a serious fire hazard. The lawsuit also claims that the automaker knowingly concealed the defect and has refused to offer a free fix.
The class action, filed on behalf of plaintiffs David Granstoun, Gary Eisner, Monica Lambert, and Erik Wolfmann, is pushing for a jury trial. It claims that the ‘racetrack’ LED taillights in affected Durango models are vulnerable to water damage from a variety of sources, including rain, car washes, melting snow, or any situation where water comes into contact with the rear of the vehicle.
Read: Two Thieves Steal 25 Dodge Durangos from Dealers Across Michigan
If water manages to get into the taillight, it can accumulate and cause initial issues like dimming or short-circuiting part of the light assembly. Over time, this water buildup can corrode electrical and lighting components, eventually causing the taillights, reverse lights, and/or license plate lights to fail completely. According to the lawsuit, malfunctioning taillights “pose a substantial safety risk to the vehicle driver and passengers, as well as individuals around the vehicle.”
The plaintiffs argue that FCA has been aware of the design and manufacturing defect for some time, yet owners are still forced to pay up to $2,000 for repairs. One plaintiff, Gary Eisner, purchased a Dodge Durango with a Mopar extended warranty. By mid-2021, he discovered a significant amount of water had accumulated in the taillight. When he took it to the dealer, they told him the repair wasn’t covered under the warranty and that he would have to pay over $1,500 to fix it.
The class action seeks compensation to cover the legal costs of the suit and demands that FCA repair, recall, or replace the affected vehicles. It also calls for the extension of warranties on the applicable Dodge Durango models. A preliminary schedule has been set by the judge, with a 10-day jury trial scheduled to begin on January 25, 2027.
