By Shawn Henry 
Stellantis, the auto giant behind heavyweights like Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and Chrysler, is now staring down a massive class-action firestorm in the U.S.—and it’s all thanks to anti-theft tech that might as well be made of tissue paper. The suit, targeting their American division Fiat Chrysler, slams the company for allegedly rolling out millions of vulnerable rides from 2012 to 2024, with security systems that crumble faster than a cookie in hot milk.
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Here’s the kicker: the lawsuit zeroes in on push-to-start models and the so-called Sentry Key Engine Immobilizer (SKIS), a feature plaintiffs argue is about as effective as a screen door on a submarine. They claim thieves can waltz right in using basic key programming gadgets, swiping cars faster than you can say “not again,” even when they’re supposedly locked down tight.
Now, don’t confuse this with the Kia and Hyundai mess—those cases involved cars missing immobilizers entirely. Stellantis’ problem? Their immobilizers exist, but plaintiffs say they flop under pressure. Owners thought they were buying ironclad protection, only to realize, too late, they’d been handed a security blanket full of holes.
Dozens of drivers are in the mix, some nursing stolen rides, others just furious their vehicles are now ticking liabilities. Case in point: one unlucky Florida Ram 1500 TRX owner watched his truck vanish, lifted by thieves using the exact workaround detailed in the lawsuit.
And here’s where it gets juicy. A federal judge just shot down Stellantis’ bid to toss the case or shove it into arbitration, ruling that drivers never even saw—let alone agreed to—any fine print locking them into private settlements. Now, the legal train’s rolling full speed, and Stellantis could be on the hook for a financial beating, not to mention a rep smackdown, as angry owners demand answers for what they call a gaping security flaw.
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