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Allegedly Defective Sway Bars in Jeeps and Rams Can Disconnect at Highway Speeds: Lawsuit

PyrPatriot

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/new...ay-speeds-lawsuit/ar-BB13kJJZ?ocid=spartanntp

“Last Monday, multiple Jeep and Ram owners accused Fiat Chrysler (FCA) in court of knowingly selling vehicles with "dangerous" sway bar disconnect mechanisms that are "prone to failure," which they say put the vehicles' occupants and the general public at risk.”
This is a click-bait title, and the article itself doesn't even back-up it's claim:
In some instances, the electronic sway bar disconnect will fail and not reconnect, forcing the driver to drive on roads and highways without a sway-bar." Flores et al v. FCA US LLC, reads.
Nobody is forcing anyone to do anything. If a part broke when the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle can remain stopped.

The claim doesn't state that the swaybar is disconnecting at speed, it states that it won't reconnect after being disconnected.
 
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This is a click-bait title, and the article itself doesn't even back-up it's claim:
In some instances, the electronic sway bar disconnect will fail and not reconnect, forcing the driver to drive on roads and highways without a sway-bar." Flores et al v. FCA US LLC, reads.
Nobody is forcing anyone to do anything. If a part broke when the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle can remain stopped.

The claim doesn't state that the swaybar is disconnecting at speed, it states that it won't reconnect after being disconnected.

From the article:
"[…] the electronic circuit board for the sway bar disconnect is in a housing with seals that are prone to failure and is located in an area that is likely to get wet or sprayed under ordinary or expected conditions, such as driving over puddles or in the rain. Failure of the circuit board occurs when liquid or contaminants breach a seal of the housing, resulting in a disconnected or malfunctioning sway bar. In some instances, the electronic sway bar disconnect will fail and not reconnect, forcing the driver to drive on roads and highways without a sway-bar."
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This is a click-bait title, and the article itself doesn't even back-up it's claim:
In some instances, the electronic sway bar disconnect will fail and not reconnect, forcing the driver to drive on roads and highways without a sway-bar." Flores et al v. FCA US LLC, reads.
Nobody is forcing anyone to do anything. If a part broke when the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle can remain stopped.

The claim doesn't state that the swaybar is disconnecting at speed, it states that it won't reconnect after being disconnected.
Next Jeep will force you to drive with a flat tire....
 

AnnDee4444

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From the article:
"[…] the electronic circuit board for the sway bar disconnect is in a housing with seals that are prone to failure and is located in an area that is likely to get wet or sprayed under ordinary or expected conditions, such as driving over puddles or in the rain. Failure of the circuit board occurs when liquid or contaminants breach a seal of the housing, resulting in a disconnected or malfunctioning sway bar. In some instances, the electronic sway bar disconnect will fail and not reconnect, forcing the driver to drive on roads and highways without a sway-bar."
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How exactly does that mean it "Can Disconnect at Highway Speeds"?
 

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Dont know, didnt write the article.
I should postulate that because this is an ELECTRONIC disconnect, as you drive the electric circuit fails and triggers a disconnect. Normally the sway bar automatically reconnects above a certain speed but because of the failed seal it does not. Hence the problem
 

AnnDee4444

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I should postulate that because this is an ELECTRONIC disconnect, as you drive the electric circuit fails and triggers a disconnect. Normally the sway bar automatically reconnects above a certain speed but because of the failed seal it does not. Hence the problem
That doesn't mean it "Can Disconnect at Highway Speeds".
  1. Jeep breaks, tells driver it's broken.
  2. Driver decides to drive on highway, claims they were forced to do it.
  3. ?
  4. Lawsuit!
 
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That doesn't mean it "Can Disconnect at Highway Speeds".
  1. Jeep breaks, tells driver it's broken.
  2. Driver decides to drive on highway, claims they were forced to do it.
  3. ?
  4. Lawsuit!
I think some of the Claimants had their swaybars short circuiting while driving, failing to reconnect, and that is where the possible danger lies
 

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From another article https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2020/jeep-sway-bar-lawsuit-says-disconnects-fail.shtml:

The lawsuit says the actuator part number for all the Jeeps is 68044411AC. And there are three actuator part numbers for the Ram trucks: 68044415AA (2005 Power Wagon), 6804412AA (2006-2012 Power Wagon), 68217400AA (2013 and later Power Wagons).

But allegedly making things even worse, there is limited circuit board electrical insulation in proximity to the metal housing, making the components easy targets for liquids. Additionally, FCA allegedly tells customers the Jeeps and Rams have a water fording depth of 30 inches.

"At that depth, the actuator for the electronic sway bar disconnect would be, at least partially if not fully, submerged for both a Jeep and Power Wagon. Thus, even though the vehicles are advertised to be able to drive through water that partially, if not fully, submerges the sway bar actuator housing, the housings still fail in conditions much less extreme, such as those found on normal wet roads." - Sway bar lawsuit

According to the plaintiffs, Jeep and Ram owners say sway bar disconnect malfunctions can cause the dashboard sway bar indicator light and/or the sway bar fault warning light to flash on and off erratically.

And from the owner's manual:
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It’s interesting, and it will probably lead FCA to doing some type of sealed and vented unit or a remote control type box. I can see the potential problem in the Rust Belt states
 

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Can someone with a stock rubicon measure from the ground to the bottom of the sway bar disconnect? I curious if this is above the 30” that jeep states as the safe depth that a rubicon can go in water.

I find it hard to believe that they didn’t anticipate for it to get wet
 

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Can someone with a stock rubicon measure from the ground to the bottom of the sway bar disconnect? I curious if this is above the 30” that jeep states as the safe depth that a rubicon can go in water.

I find it hard to believe that they didn’t anticipate for it to get wet
17.5", but I do have a winch. To clear 30" the swaybar would need to be level with the top of the tire (on a Rubicon)
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