Stellantis (Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler) South Carolina Lemon Law Cases

Stellantis (Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler — formerly Fiat Chrysler / FCA) is heavily represented in the SC market, particularly in the rural pickup and off-road segments. The Jeep Wrangler death-wobble is paradigm rural SC territory (Upstate, Lowcountry, Pee Dee), the Ram 1500 is among the top-selling vehicles in SC rural areas, and Jeep Grand Cherokee is common across suburban / luxury markets. Stellantis has no SC plant; nearest US plants are Toledo OH, Detroit, and Saltillo Mexico.

Stellantis in SC market

No SC 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 SC 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 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.

SC settlement leverage

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

Safety-critical framing.
NHTSA exposure.
TSB acknowledgment.
Class-action history.
Strong SCUTPA public-interest pleading basis.

Also affects Gladiator

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 — documented across multiple years.

5.7L HEMI V8 — “HEMI tick”

Ticking from upper engine, often lifter failure.
Documented across multiple years and platforms.
Class action history.

8-speed automatic (ZF 8HP)

Shudder at certain speeds.
Hesitation.

EcoDiesel (3.0L V6 diesel — discontinued)

Various diesel emissions issues.
DEF system.

Uconnect infotainment

Touchscreen freezes.
CarPlay / Android Auto disconnects.
Backup-camera failures.

Ram TRX (high-performance Ram 1500)

Various performance-specific issues.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

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

Jeep Cherokee (compact — different vehicle)

9-speed transmission issues (early years).
2.4L Tigershark engine issues.

Jeep Renegade / Compass

9-speed transmission issues.

Jeep Wagoneer / Grand Wagoneer

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

Dodge Challenger / Charger

HEMI tick.
Transmission.

Chrysler Pacifica / Voyager

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

A/C in SC heat

AC compressor and condenser issues across Stellantis vehicles in SC summer.

Recall and TSB history

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

Documented patterns include:

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.
Written notice to Stellantis Customer Care triggers customer-relations engagement.

SCUTPA exposure

Stellantis cases have substantial SCUTPA exposure for:

Death-wobble “fixed” representations — paradigm SCUTPA case with strong public-interest pleading (NHTSA + class actions + TSBs).
HEMI durability representations — when tick / lifter failures occur within warranty.
9-speed transmission representations — extensive history.
Uconnect feature representations.
4xe PHEV range / charging claims.

Bottom line

Stellantis cases in SC center on the Wrangler / Gladiator / Ram death-wobble pattern (paradigm rural SC territory) and the HEMI tick / 9-speed transmission issues. Strong NHTSA and class-action history creates substantial settlement leverage and SCUTPA public-interest pleading basis.

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