NEWARK, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - A class action lawsuit filed on Thursday alleges that Chrysler used a defective design in sunroofs for several of its vehicles even though the company was aware of the problem.
The lawsuit filed by six plaintiffs alleges the drainage tubes in the sunroofs were undersized; that the installation was faulty; and there were inadequate sealing procedures and manufacturing defects on the part of Chrysler.
The suit involves Chrysler vehicles sold or leased by the company from 2009 to the present.
Ohio resident David Cox stated in the lawsuit he bought a 2010 Jeep Patriot in September 2010, and when the vehicle hit 10,000 miles his sunroof began to leak, damaging his radio. The Chrysler dealership replaced his radio and cleaned out the sunroof drain tubes. When the sunroof leaked again, Chrysler allegedly refused to make repairs, claiming it was a maintenance problem, the lawsuit states.
Another plaintiff alleged the drainage tubes were an “environmental issue,” and it wasn't covered under the warranty.
The lawsuit claims the plaintiffs suffered damages including repair costs, loss of value on their vehicles, loss of use and enjoyment, loss of personal property, time spent scheduling repairs, and inconvenience.
The plaintiffs claim Chrysler knew about the possible leaks from sunroofs for several years. Chrysler issued service bulletins concerning sunroof water leaks in several vehicles in 1999, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011, the complaint says. In all the bulletins, the company allegedly cited some sort of water leakage coming from the sunroof.
The plaintiffs are represented by Joseph LoPiccolo of Poulos LoPiccolo PC in Ocean, N.J.; John E. Keefe, Jr., of Keefe Bartels in Red Bank, N.J.; and Peter C. Lucas of the Law Office of Peter C. Lucas, LLC in Oakhurst, N.J.
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey case number 3:14-cv-07573