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FCA Gets Sued by Department of Justice, Says It Is Disappointed

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has issued a response to the civil lawsuit filed against it by the Department of Justice.
3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles 1 photo
Photo: FCA
In case you did not read about it last week, the Italian-American automaker was rumored to get sued by the DoJ, but no official details existed at that time.

Meanwhile, it appears that FCA has received the corresponding papers, which wrote that a lawsuit was deposited against it by the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ-ENRD).

The lawsuit comes after many months of collaboration between the EPA, FCA, and the California Air Resources Board, and the officials of the brand have stated that they are “disappointed” by the DoJ’s decision. They are aware that the lawsuit refers to the emissions control technology implemented on the MY2014-2016 Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel-engined vehicles.

However, while reviewing the complaint that was filed against it, the automaker has pledged to continue collaborating with the authorities while also “vigorously” defending itself against any claims that may suggest a deliberate scheme that involved installing “defeat devices” meant to cheat U.S. emissions tests.

In other words, the automaker is visibly upset that it got sued while already working with two authorities in the field to solve a potential problem that was not intentional in the first place.

Last week, representatives of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles had announced that the company applied for a certification of the 2017 diesel engines found in the Ram 1500 pickup truck and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The request was made to allow the implementation of a new emissions control software.

The new code would then be proposed for implementation in the MY2014-2016 vehicles that were not up to the requirements of the EPA and California Air Resources Board.

FCA does not anticipate any impact on fuel economy, reliability, or performance after the modifications are applied, which will bring an improved control of the emission reduction systems.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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