A new class-action lawsuit targeting Stellantis subsidiary FCA US, LLC and supplier Lear Corporation claims that the electric front-seat height adjusters used in roughly two million vehicles can fail during rear-end collisions. The lawsuit, Richard and Evelyn Alexander v. FCA US LLC, et al., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and covers the 2011–2023 Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Chrysler 300, plus the 2011–2017 Chrysler 200 and 2013–2016 Dodge Dart. The plaintiffs argue that the powered seat-height mechanism can collapse in low-speed rear impacts, potentially changing occupant positioning during a crash. The suit, brought to broader attention by CarComplaints.com, alleges that FCA and Lear committed "mail and wire fraud." The engineering claims behind the lawsuit are based on information in the lawsuit, which states that the seat adjuster in question is a conventional design: it uses a motor, gearbox, threaded shaft, and a traveling ...
A new class-action lawsuit targeting Stellantis subsidiary FCA US, LLC and supplier Lear Corporation claims that the electric front-seat height adjusters used in roughly two million vehicles can fail during rear-end collisions. The lawsuit, Richard and Evelyn Alexander v. FCA US LLC, et al., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and covers the 2011–2023 Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Chrysler 300, plus the 2011–2017 Chrysler 200 and 2013–2016 Dodge Dart.
The plaintiffs argue that the powered seat-height mechanism can collapse in low-speed rear impacts, potentially changing occupant positioning during a crash. The suit, brought to broader attention by CarComplaints.com, alleges that FCA and Lear committed “mail and wire fraud.”
The engineering claims behind the lawsuit are based on information in the lawsuit, which states that the seat adjuster in question is a conventional design: it uses a motor, gearbox, threaded shaft, and a traveling nut connected to a small welded bracket. The plaintiffs claim that their testing shows the weak point isn’t the motor or gearing, but the weld itself.
In everyday use, the adjuster mostly sees vertical loads from occupant weight; in a rear-end impact, however, forces shift backwards, and the suit claims those loads concentrate at the weld, causing it to deform or fail. The lawsuit doesn’t claim the seat detaches from the floor; instead, it says the mechanism can collapse downward, resulting in a sudden change in seating position that could alter seat belt geometry and airbag alignment.
The complaint also argues that risk increases when the seat is adjusted higher, since a taller position creates more leverage on the mechanism during a crash. However, it’s worth noting that the lawsuit cites no failed federal crash tests, no recalls have been issued, and the claims rely largely on testing commissioned by plaintiffs’ attorneys.
For now, this remains an early-stage legal dispute that will have to survive early motions and then become class-certified before it can go to discovery. As the case unfolds, it will be interesting to see if the plaintiffs can prove their claims and if FCA and Lear are found liable for any damages.
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