Legally reviewed by: Jessica Anvar Stotz, JD, MBA
Many Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and RAM owners have been reporting a defect in their vehicles recently.
This defect takes the form of a message displayed on the infotainment system screen that reads “Uconnect Box requires service. Please visit an authorized dealer.”
Uconnect is the system that allows your vehicle to access things like navigation, weather, media, music, phone calls, and more.
If you have seen this Uconnect error message or experienced other related issues and have taken your vehicle in to be repaired unsuccessfully multiple times, your vehicle may be considered a lemon, and you may be eligible for compensation under California law.
Keep reading to find out more about the Uconnect system and what you can do to receive compensation.
| Affected Model | Average Lemon Law Settlement |
| Chrysler Pacifica | $78,533 |
| Dodge Durango | $99,073 |
| RAM 1500 | $94,687 |
| RAM 2500 | $102,714 |
| RAM 3500 | $107,247 |
| Jeep Compass | $55,902 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | $87,161 |
| Jeep Grand Wagoneer | $176,173 |
*Please note, the figures presented in the chart are approximations based on past case results and should not be interpreted as a prediction or guarantee. Each case is unique and requires personalized legal guidance.
What’s Going on with the Uconnect System?
Consumers have reported receiving a general error message on their vehicle’s infotainment system that says the Uconnect system requires service.
However, this error message does not actually specify what is wrong with the vehicle, only that a consumer should take the vehicle to an authorized dealer to have the problem addressed.
Among other things, Uconnect not working means that CarPlay functionality between a consumer and the vehicle will not work. A phone will also read as “unavailable” if the Uconnect system does not work and the consumer attempts to connect their phone to it.
Consumers may be unable to use their car’s navigation system, certain media systems like satellite radio, and more while their Uconnect does not function as intended.
Which Vehicles Experience Uconnect Issues?
According to consumer reports, the following vehicles are impacted by Uconnect issues:
- 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
- 2022-2023 Jeep Compass
- 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- 2022-2023 Dodge Durango
- 2022-2023 Ram 1500
- 2022-2023 Ram 2500
- 2021-2023 Chrysler Pacifica
Customers have reported a slew of problems relating to the Uconnect system not working as intended, such as:
- Bluetooth not connecting
- Sound/volume randomly dropping out
- System memory settings do not save
- Heads-up display does not display speed limit
- Center screen reboots
- Center screen goes dark
- Screens freezing or glitching
- CarPlay connectivity dropping out
Complaints from Consumers
Based on what consumers are reporting, it appears that Uconnect issues can manifest in almost any part of the car that relies on electronically stored information and information transfer. Given this wide variety of potential problems, consumers should exercise great caution if they are aware of this specific defect being present in their Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, or RAM. Some complaints from customers follow:
- “My Uconnect system (like others on here) has had absolutely MASSIVE problems. If anyone has had similar problems and had them all resolved, I’d love to know specifically what parts/repairs were done to solve the issues . . . The problems started on day two, and have progressively gotten worse. It is infuriating to live with this . . .”
- 2022 Jeep Forum Comment
- “Jeep was WAY late getting this vehicle to market for it to be this RAW. It has WAAAAY too many issues and nobody seems to be able to fix them. 5 recalls and pages of issues, completely unacceptable.”
- 2022 Jeep Forum Comment
- “I was having troubles with my Uconnect functionality. It would black out all the time. I did the USB update provided through their site. It worked for a bit, then started having the same problems with blacking out. When it blacks out, you have NO control over any features that are connected to the Uconnect..i.e…heat/ac, radio, heated seats, backup camera, etc.”
- 2022 Dodge Forum Post
- “I have gone to the dealership numerous of times and still the UConnect 5 system in my car restarts on its own constantly. This shouldn’t be happening with a new car and just to think this is my first experience with Jeep and definitely a disappointing one.”
- 2022 Reddit Post
- “Tonight, I ran into a new issue after having my truck for over a year. It is a 2021 Ram 1500 Classic SLT 3.6L with the 8.4″ Uconnect head unit. It has been working fine up until today when my phone lost connection with the unit. It started while I was parked. Music was playing through wired Android Auto. Along with this issue, my phone will charge for a few seconds, stop, charge for a few seconds, stop, and so on.”
- 2023 RAM Forum Post
Is There a Uconnect Class Action Lawsuit?
As of June 10th, 2024, there is no class action lawsuit for the Uconnect issues plaguing Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and RAM vehicles. However, a classaction.org investigation has been set up for these problems, as attorneys are looking into potentially starting a class action lawsuit for the Uconnect problems.
Consumers should regularly check websites like classaction.org if they believe their vehicle will soon be or already is the subject of a class action lawsuit.
Alternatively, consumers can file a lemon law claim against the manufacturer to receive individual compensation without having to wait for a class action lawsuit.
If a consumer brings a lemon law claim successfully against the manufacturer, their attorney’s fees are paid for, meaning the lawsuit comes at no cost to the plaintiff consumer.
After a successful lemon law claim, the consumer will be offered either a replacement vehicle or a refund of all payments made on the defective vehicle, depending on what the manufacturer chooses to offer.
What Are My Legal Options?
As a consumer, your most direct legal option if your warrantied vehicle is suffering from a defect is to file a lemon law claim against the manufacturer of the defective vehicle.
In order to do this, a consumer must be able to show that their vehicle is a lemon. In California, lemon vehicles are determined by the number of unsuccessful repair attempts that have been made to address the same defect.
This number is generally between two and four and varies depending on the severity and dangerousness of the defect present. Otherwise, a vehicle which is out of use for 30 total days due to repairs is also considered a lemon.
How the California Lemon Law Can Help
The California lemon law helps you, the consumer, by providing a way to hold manufacturers of defective vehicles accountable.
The remedies provided by California’s lemon law after your vehicle is determined to be a lemon allow you to either be refunded all of the money you have spent on the vehicle, minus a usage fee for the time the vehicle worked as intended, or a replacement vehicle of a similar make and model as the defective one.
The replacement vehicle will typically be, but is not always, a current-year car. The manufacturer gets to choose which of the two options the consumer will receive.
Uconnect Not Working? Get in Touch with the Lemon Law Experts
If you own a Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, or RAM on the list above and have been experiencing problems with your Uconnect system, your vehicle may be considered a lemon under California law.
As a consumer, your best option is to take these defects to be repaired and document the repairs carefully. If the defect remains, the next step is for you to contact the Lemon Law Experts.
We have been assisting clients with their lemon law claims since 2009 and have a tremendous amount of experience working in California against manufacturers of defective vehicles.
Manufacturers are bringing the best legal teams so they don’t have to refund or replace their defective vehicles: arm yourself with your own legal counsel by contacting us today at (877) 885-5366 or by filling out our form online here for a free case evaluation!
