- FCA will offer a 10-year 100,000-mile extended warranty on affected vehicles.
- Some owners and lessees can claim reimbursement for out-of-pocket repairs.
- The law firm representing the class action stands to receive $1.75 million in fees.
Sometimes, the only way to get a car company to pay attention is to drag them into court, and it looks like that strategy has finally paid off for some Dodge minivan owners. The price tag for FCA’s decision to settle a class-action lawsuit we covered recently has come to light, and let’s just say the attorneys involved are probably upgraded their happy hour to bottle service.
Read: It Took A Lawsuit But Dodge Minivan Owners Finally Got Some Payback
The case, which revolves around allegedly defective door lock actuators on 2017-2018 Dodge Grand Caravan models, triggered a class action, and FCA decided to settle. This week, that settlement received preliminary approval from a judge.
Originally filed in July 2021, the lawsuit targeted 2013–2020 Dodge Grand Caravans and 2013–2016 Chrysler Town & Country models. At the core of the complaint was the claim that the sliding door actuators could fail over time, leaving doors unable to lock or unlock properly. The lead plaintiff is set to receive $3,000, while the law firm representing the class is poised to collect a cool $1.75 million.
Settlement Details: Who’s Covered
Interestingly, the settlement only relates to 2017-2018 Dodge Grand Caravans, not other models named in the original lawsuit. Through the settlement, FCA will provide a 10-year / 100,000-mile extended warranty from when vehicles first went into service. Additionally, anyone who bought or leased a Dodge Grand Caravan between January 1 and December 31, 2017, and paid out of pocket for a fix, can seek reimbursement.
As is so often the case, FCA continues to insist that there is no fault with the door lock actuators on certain Grand Caravan models. But, it appears to have at least known about a problem a few years ago.
According to Car Complaints, in 2020, the automaker issued a technical service bulletin ordering dealerships to replace the sliding door lock actuators on 2016-2017 Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country models. The following year, FCA also agreed to a 15-year / 150,000-mile warranty extension for vehicles it built between May 1, 2025, and January 9, 2017.
