Jeep Gladiator Fire Near Illinois Home Leads to Court Battle Over Arbitration

An Illinois couple has taken Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to court after their 2022 Jeep Gladiator caught fire in their driveway, nearly reaching their home. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleging that a faulty power steering pump electrical connector sparked the blaze on July 5, 2024.

According to the complaint, James noticed black smoke in front of the house and rushed outside to find the truck burning just 10 feet from the garage. His attempts to extinguish the fire with a garden hose failed, so he moved his wife and children to safety and called 911. Firefighters arrived to find flames had already melted the garage door and trim.

They struggled to access the vehicle's fuel tank, eventually calling a tow truck to lift the Gladiator so they could put out the fire from underneath.

The plaintiffs claim about 20 gallons of gasoline leaked onto their property during the incident. They also noted that firefighters used roughly 35 gallons of firefighting foam, which they say contains toxic chemicals harmful to people and the environment.

FCA attempted to move the case to arbitration, arguing that the Teubers agreed to settle disputes that way when they leased the vehicle. The couple denied ever agreeing to such a condition in their lease documents. A judge rejected FCA's request, allowing the lawsuit to proceed in court for now.