Dodge is being taken to court in a class action lawsuit and the company may well end up being judged in the wrong. The case involves the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat model and buyers say they were taken for a ride.
At the time it was on sale, this SUV version cost $84,000, a high price that had a lot to do with a promise made to drivers about exclusivity. Legal experts feel the plaintiffs’ case is good and there’s strong evidence of Dodge’s “guarantee”
Dodge announced a limited-edition 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat in 2020
Dodge fans were thrilled when the true-blue American brand decided to release a Durango Hellcat fitted with its most impressive V8, the same engine that powered the Challenger and Charger Hellcat models.
The original plan was not to limit its production, which was announced by Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis in August 2020:
“The Durango Hellcat is not limited, not serialized like what we do with [the Dodge Demon].”
But then, Dodge offered buyers a sweetener by stating that the Durango Hellcat would only be released as a single-year 2021 special edition, which was also made clear in material released to the press:
“Dodge will build the Durango SRT Hellcat for the 2021 model year only.”
That’s not how things turned out and Dodge went on to release several Durango Hellcats in subsequent years.
Doge made a clear promise about the Hellcat being a limited run
Buyers of the original 2021 Durango Hellcats feel hard-done-by, explaining that the fact that the model was going to be a one-off for a single year was the major drawcard when they decided to spend their money on the Hellcat SUV.
Dodge went against its word and continued protection of the Durango Hellcat post-2021, leaving the initial buyers disappointed that their vehicles weren’t as special as they had been led to believe they would be. A group of them were sufficiently incensed after “investing” in what they believed would be a low-volume vehicle that may well increase in value over time decided to go to court about it.
What was planned to be a run of just 2,000 units turned into 3,000, but Dodge still maintained that the Durango Hellcat wouldn’t return in another year. CEO Kuniskis spoke again on January 21, 2021, and his message couldn’t be misinterpreted:
“The 2021 Durango Hellcat is only a single model-year run, ensuring that it will be a very special, sought-after performance SUV for years to come.”
Dodge is now being targeted in a class action over not keeping its promise
But then, in 2022, an upcoming 2023 model Durango Hellcat was announced. Seven owners felt strongly enough about wrongdoing on Dodge’s part to file a suit based on being sold a false bill of sale. They said that they would never have purchased the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat or paid the price they did if they had been aware that later models would be released.
Court documents state:
“The fact that it was advertised and represented by the Defendants as a one-year model run only, made the Class Vehicle highly attractive to Plaintiff and other purchasers as a suitable investment and affected Plaintiff’s decision to purchase the 2021 Hellcat Vehicle.”
What is Dodge’s response to accusations of exclusivity misrepresentation?
Dodge is adamant that no one was misled. It claims that the language used for marketing purposes and to the press never stated that the Durango Hellcat would never reenter production. Kuniskis’ quote was referenced where he used the words “is not limited” when speaking of the 2021 Durango Hellcat in 2020.
Another point Dodge made was that when the SUV’s production was initially limited to 2021, it had more to do with industry challenges related to the pandemic than offering buyers a limited-edition vehicle. Dodge denies that it intended to create an investment vehicle and doesn’t believe that buyers can claim financial losses or decreased value.
The feeling among the public is that the plaintiffs’ case is stronger than Dodge’s and that the statements about a limited production run were quite clear. Although Kuniskis said in the early days that the Durango Hellcat would not be limited, this was nullified in more than one promise made after that. Ford is also being sued in a class action lawsuit, but over a different kind of case involving the EcoBoost.