Chrysler Facing Lawsuit Over Uconnect Problems
January 23, 2020
At A Glance
- This Alert Affects:
- Anyone who owns or leases a 2017, 2018, or 2019 Chrysler Pacifica or Chrysler 300 and has had issues with their Uconnect system.
- What’s Going On?
- A class action lawsuit has been filed alleging that the Uconnect “infotainment” system is defective. Attorneys working with ClassAction.org have now launched their own investigation into the allegations with the hopes of filing their own lawsuit.
- What Problems Are People Reporting?
- Problems with the screens freezing or going black, GPS navigation not working, issues with the rear back-up camera and more.
- How You Can Help
- Before attorneys working with ClassAction.org can even consider filing their own case against Chrysler, they need to hear from people who had issues with their Uconnect systems. Share your story today by filling out the form on this page.
- How Could a Class Action Help Me?
- If successful, drivers could recover money for loss of their car’s value, as well as any out-of-pocket repairs. It could also force Chrysler to come up with a real fix for the problem.
A class action lawsuit has been filed alleging that a defect in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Chrysler Pacifica and Chrysler 300 models’ Uconnect systems is causing nearly all of the vehicles’ entertainment, communication and navigation features to malfunction.
In light of these claims, attorneys working with ClassAction.org are interested in filing a lawsuit of their own to help drivers get a resolution to the issue.
If you had problems with your Uconnect system, attorneys working with ClassAction.org want to hear from you as part of their investigation. Simply fill out the form on this page and tell us what happened. After you get in touch, one of the attorneys we work with may reach out directly to explain more about what you can do.
What Problems Are Being Reported with the Uconnect System?
The lawsuit alleges that the defect can cause a wide range of problems that affect the radio, touchscreen, GPS, rearview back-up camera, theater system, Bluetooth functionality and more. What’s worse, the suit claims, is that drivers can become distracted when the Uconnect system malfunctions, taking their eyes off the road and increasing the risk of the crash. They may also lose access to safety features such as the back-up camera and hands-free phone use.
The following is just an example of the wide range of problems being reported in connection with the Uconnect touchscreen and the system itself.
- Touch screen freezes, locks, goes black or “blank,” or flashes with the Chrysler logo
- Radio doesn’t work
- GPS and navigation system keeps turning on and off, or doesn’t work at all
- Rear-view backup camera doesn’t work when reversing, or stays on when the car is in forward motion
- Uconnect theater system doesn’t work properly
- Climate control isn’t responsive
- Heated seats don’t work or are “stuck on”
- Loss of Bluetooth connectivity, which is necessary for hands-free calling
- TV monitors fail to turn on, connect and/or sync with the Uconnect system
The following is an example of complaints posted online by drivers who’ve had problems with their Uconnect systems [sic throughout]:
I purchased a brand new 2018 Chrysler Pacifica last month. The day after we brought it home, the Uconnect system (which controls all entertainment, climate, navigation, etc. in the car) started malfunctioning. The situation has worsened to the present point where occasionally ONLY the am/fm radio works. No apple carplay, no phone pairing, no Sirius. Most of the time, however, we drive around in COMPLETE SILENCE, sometimes with our seat warmers stuck ‘on’ because we can’t turn them off since that feature is controlled by the Uconnect system as well…We’ve lost money, we’ve lost sleep, we’re stressed to the max over the fact that we’ve been swindled by Fiat Chrysler America.”
— Brookeye, PacificaForums.com
My 2018 Chrysler 300C (13,300 miles) infotainment system started having issues. It started changing from Bluetooth back to the phone repeatedly. The heated steering wheel would shut off within 10 minutes instead of the 80 stated in the owners manual. A new steering wheel was said to be the fix. Not.. Then the heated/cooled seats started shutting off early. Next the Navigation stopped working with no maps and showing my current location in a completely different city. I visited my Chrysler service center who looked at it and informed me the problems would be corrected within an hour after an update. Five hours later I'm told the entire system crashed…”
— 300C Hemi, AutoWeek.com
This morning we went out and everything was normal. I had the climate screen on so we could turn on the seat heaters. On the way back, nothing on the screen would work, I couldn't change screens and worst of all, I couldn't turn on the heated seats. The touch screen was locked where I couldn't change anything, except if I used one of the manual controls, it would reflect that.”
— ezdays, PacificaForums.com
I've only had my van for a month. I've never wanted to scream so much. Four kids in the back wanting their movie sound on and there was literally nothing I could do. I did like you and turned it off & on, I tried going through voice control but as soon as I'd try hitting a button on the screen it would go back to climate!? I keep saying, if it happens again, I'll go to the dealer. I just don't have time!”
— BBMommy, PacificaForums.com
It has been alleged that Fiat Chrysler is aware of the issues drivers are experiencing, as the company’s representatives, dealers and technicians have all admitted that the Uconnect system defect is a “known and pervasive problem.”
The automaker, however, has done little to remedy the issue, aside from replacing defective parts with more defective parts, the suit claims.
Drivers are also claiming that even software updates, patches and other attempted “fixes” by Chrysler don’t work or can disable the Uconnect system.
How Can a Class Action Help Me?
A successful class action lawsuit could force Fiat Chrysler to find a real fix for the problem.
Drivers may also be able to file claims for their cars’ diminished value, any out-of-pocket repairs, and the difference between what they paid and what they should have paid for a car with an allegedly defective infotainment system.
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