Stellantis (Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler) Alabama Lemon Law Cases

Stellantis (Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler — formerly Fiat Chrysler / FCA) is heavily represented in the Alabama market — particularly in the rural pickup and off-road segments. The Jeep Wrangler death-wobble is paradigm rural-AL pickup territory, the Ram 1500 is among the top-selling vehicles in AL, and Jeep Grand Cherokee is common across suburban / luxury markets. Stellantis does not have an Alabama plant; nearest US plants are Toledo OH, Belvidere IL (idled), Detroit, and Saltillo Mexico.

Stellantis in Alabama market

No AL plant.
Strong rural pickup market — Ram 1500 / 2500 / 3500.
Jeep off-road market — Wrangler, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee.
Dodge performance market — Challenger, Charger (now discontinued for ICE).

Jeep Wrangler death-wobble — flagship Alabama case category

The Wrangler death-wobble (JK 2007-2018 generation, JL 2018+ generation) is uncontrolled lateral steering oscillation:

Symptoms

Triggered by highway-speed bump or expansion joint.
Severe lateral oscillation until vehicle is slowed significantly.
Pattern recurs after standard “fix” (steering damper, ball-joint, track-bar bushing replacement).

Class action history

Multiple Wrangler death-wobble class actions — some settled, some pending.
Stellantis TSBs addressing the issue but pattern persists.

Strong Alabama angle

Rural AL Wrangler market is substantial. Death-wobble cases have strong settlement leverage:

Safety-critical framing.
NHTSA exposure.
TSB acknowledgment establishing the pattern.
Class-action history undermines “this is normal” defenses.

Also affects Gladiator (Wrangler pickup variant)

Gladiator shares front-axle design with Wrangler — same death-wobble pattern.

Ram 1500 / 2500 / 3500

Death-wobble (Ram heavy-duty)

Ram 2500 / 3500 death-wobble — similar to Wrangler, documented across multiple years.
Solid front axle design susceptible to oscillation under specific conditions.

5.7L HEMI V8 — “HEMI tick”

Symptoms: ticking from upper engine, often lifter failure.
Pattern: documented across multiple years and platforms (Ram, Grand Cherokee SRT, Charger).
Class action history addressing HEMI tick.

8-speed automatic (ZF 8HP)

Shudder at certain speeds.
Hesitation in some scenarios.

EcoDiesel (3.0L V6 diesel — discontinued)

Various diesel emissions issues.
DEF system.
Diesel particulate filter issues.

Uconnect infotainment

Touchscreen freezes.
CarPlay / Android Auto disconnects.
Backup-camera failures.
Multiple software updates with mixed effectiveness.

Ram TRX (high-performance Ram 1500)

Various performance-specific issues.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

HEMI tick (V8 variants).
8-speed transmission issues.
Air suspension issues (Quadra-Lift).
Uconnect issues.
4xe PHEV issues — charging, battery, software regression.

Jeep Cherokee (compact — different vehicle)

9-speed transmission issues (early years) — harsh shifting, hesitation.
2.4L Tigershark engine issues.

Jeep Renegade / Compass

9-speed transmission issues.

Jeep Wagoneer / Grand Wagoneer (full-size)

Various early-production issues.
HEMI engine.
Air suspension.
Uconnect 5.

Dodge Challenger / Charger (legacy)

HEMI tick.
Transmission.
Various electrical.

Chrysler Pacifica / Voyager

9-speed transmission issues in earlier years.
PHEV-specific issues (Pacifica Hybrid).
Various electrical issues.
Power sliding doors.

A/C in Alabama heat

AC compressor and condenser issues common across Stellantis vehicles in Alabama summer heat.

Recall and TSB history

NHTSA recall search by VIN.
Stellantis / Mopar service portal for TSBs.

Documented patterns include:

Multi-year Takata airbag remediation.
Wrangler / Gladiator death-wobble TSBs.
HEMI tick TSBs.
9-speed transmission TSBs.
Uconnect software updates.
4xe / various EV-related campaigns.

Procedural considerations

NCDS (National Center for Dispute Settlement) / BBB Auto Line — Stellantis has used different IDS providers in different years. Check current certification.
Written notice to Stellantis Customer Care triggers final-attempt obligation.
Federal venue N.D./M.D./S.D. Ala. available.

ADTPA exposure

Stellantis cases have substantial ADTPA exposure for:

Death-wobble “fixed” representations — paradigm case.
HEMI durability representations — when tick / lifter failures occur within warranty.
9-speed transmission representations — extensive history.
Uconnect feature representations.
4xe PHEV range / charging claims.
Recall-effectiveness representations.

Bottom line

Stellantis cases in Alabama center on the Wrangler / Gladiator / Ram death-wobble pattern (paradigm rural AL territory) and the HEMI tick / 9-speed transmission issues. Strong NHTSA and class-action history creates substantial settlement leverage. No Alabama plant but standard Lemon Law + ADTPA + Magnuson-Moss strategy works well. Federal venue typically N.D./M.D./S.D. Ala.

Article