Fiat Chrysler Can’t Compel Arbitration in Minivan Fire-Risk Suit

Fiat Chrysler waived the right to compel some drivers pursuing breach of warranty claims over certain combustible Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivans into arbitration after seeking to dismiss their claims on the merits, a federal judge ruled.

The minivans have a battery flaw that can cause them to combust spontaneously, the plaintiffs alleged in a consolidated master complaint filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. In December 2022, Fiat Chrysler filed a motion to dismiss that challenged “the viability of all of the claims pleaded,” Judge David Lawson said in his Feb. 5 order on ...