In this FCA case, our clients purchased a brand-new 2022 Jeep Compass from a California dealership with a reported 16 miles. Unfortunately, their ownership experience quickly soured due to persistent mechanical issues that led to several repeat warranty repair visits.
The first issue surfaced when the vehicle had reached just over 10,000 miles. The consumer reported that the dashboard cluster was too dim to see during the daytime, even when the brightness controls were set to maximum. They also complained of a grinding noise when braking.
Despite these concerns, the dealership performed routine maintenance, including a tire rotation, multi-point inspection, and oil change, but no repair was made to address the dashboard issue. FCA technicians acknowledged the defect and noted it in a technical service bulletin (S2208000157), but at that time, there was no fix available. The service visit lasted 7 days.
Following this repair visit at about 17,090 miles, our clients returned to Victorville Motors, still experiencing the same dim dashboard issue. This time, the dealership opened a “star case” with FCA to escalate the issue to the manufacturer. Again, no immediate solution was provided, and the vehicle remained at the dealership for 13 days.
About one month, the issue returned. While the dealership confirmed that the problem persisted, they stated that FCA’s engineering team was still working on a resolution, which would eventually be released as a remote service update (RSU). This repair visit lasted 1 day and ended with no fix.
More concerning problems arose when the consumer returned to for another warranty repair regarding harsh shifting and stalling at freeway speeds, which raised serious safety concerns. Upon inspection, the dealership verified that the transmission had an internal valve body failure, which caused the rough shifts.
They replaced the transmission valve body and internal wiring, performed a solenoid relearn, and replenished the transmission fluid. Despite fixing the transmission issues, the dealership could not resolve the dim dashboard problem. This repair took 10 days.
The most significant repair visit occurred when the vehicle spent a cumulative 31 days in the repair shop for ongoing unresolved defects, particularly those affecting safety and usability.
Frustrated by the unresolved issues and the prolonged repair periods, the plaintiffs sought legal assistance from the Lemon Law Experts, a firm specializing in defective vehicle cases.
After a thorough evaluation, the legal team identified multiple violations of California’s Lemon Law, primarily due to the persistent dashboard defect, the dangerous transmission failures, and the substantial time the vehicle spent in the dealership for repairs.
Ultimately, with the help of the Lemon Law Experts, the plaintiffs successfully negotiated a buyback of the 2022 Jeep Compass from FCA. The settlement included a full refund for the defective Jeep and the payment of the consumer’s legal fees and costs.
Since 2009, the Lemon Law Experts have helped countless clients secure settlements for defective vehicles. If you’re facing similar unresolved issues with your car, the Lemon Law Experts offer free consultations to help you explore your legal options and work toward obtaining a favorable outcome. Contact our team today to learn more.
