Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will pay up to $3,075 to each owner of certain vehicles to conclude a class-action diesel engine emissions lawsuit.
More than $307 million is designated for the claims process that opened on May 3, according to a press release from the law firm Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann and Bernstein.
The owners of around 100,000 Dodge Ram 1500 pickups and Jeep Grand Cherokees with 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engines are eligible to submit claims. The affected model years are 2014 through 2016. In addition to money, owners could be eligible for extended warranties and emissions modifications.
Federal regulators and the state of California alleged that FCA installed “undisclosed software functions and defeat devices” on the vehicles, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The devices made the vehicles perform differently to pass emissions tests, the EPA said.
The case is similar to the Volkswagen emissions scandal that began in 2015. The company ended up formally acknowledging its use of defeat devices.
As for FCA, it has not admitted any wrongdoing. Auto supplier Bosch, which will also pay as part of the settlement, also denied any wrongdoing, reported the Detroit Free Press. The case was settled in January.
Eligible vehicle owners must apply for compensation online. Claim forms are on the class-action lawsuit website www.ecodieselsettlement.com.
