Latest news with #DodgeDurangoHellcat
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Durango Hellcat Owners Take Dodge To Court Over 'Bait And Switch'
Dodge Durango Hellcat owners are pissed, but not because of any issues with their 710-horsepower high-performance SUVs. When Dodge first announced the Durango Hellcat in 2020 it said the model would be a one-year-only special edition for the 2021 model year, but production of the SUV was brought back for 2023 and has continued since then. Those original owners have been locked in a legal battle with the automaker because they feel Dodge misled them over the Durango Hellcat's special edition status, and now both parties are going to court. Read more: What's The Point Of Mid-Grade Gasoline? The Durango Hellcat's combination of supercharged Hemi might and three-row family hauling capability was brilliant, putting it in a class of its own against myriad other high-performance SUVs. Buyers lined up to get their hands on one when order books opened at the end of 2020, especially after Dodge boss Tim Kuniskis confirmed that the Durango Hellcat would only be available for one model year: "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." In January 2021 just after the Hellcat first reached dealers it was nearly sold out; Dodge initially planned for a 2,000-unit production run but ended up building 3,000 2021 Durango Hellcats. Pretty impressive for an SUV that cost nearly $84,000. At the time, a company spokesperson confirmed to Jalopnik that there would be no Durango Hellcat allocations for 2022, reiterating that it was a 2021-only model. Then, in the summer of 2022, Dodge announced that the Durango Hellcat would return for the 2023 model year, which immediately pissed off existing owners — some were so mad that they took legal action. In March 2023, seven Durango Hellcat owners filed a suit in the U.S. District Court in Delaware against Dodge. Their argument? Dodge misled buyers of the original run of Durango Hellcats by continuing the SUV's production. The owners claim that had they known Dodge would make more Durango Hellcats after initially saying it would be a one year only model, they wouldn't have paid so much for one at the dealer. According to Car Complaints, the owners reference both Tim Kuniskis' statements about the Hellcat being available for just one year and Dodge's promomotional and press materials as evidence for the case. At the end of the day, this drama is all about value. The suit mentions that Dodge's implication that the Durango Hellcat would be a limited edition led the owners to purchase the SUVs as a "suitable investment." From Car Complaints: "The lawsuit alleges the plaintiffs purchased their SUVs as a "suitable investment," the implication being the 2021 SRT Hellcat was to be a "limited edition" vehicle that was never to be built again. The motion says: "Each Plaintiff alleges that they purchased the SRT Hellcat based upon Defendants' representations that it was a 'limited edition,' 'one-year model run only,' making it a 'suitable investment' and 'eventual collector's item.'" Dodge and the owners came close to resolving the case and had entered into mediation, but things fell through and the owners took the brand back to court. Dodge doesn't believe it misled anyone about the Durango Hellcat's production and says the case should be dismissed. According to Car Complaints, Dodge claims that the company's language at the time, both in official announcements and the words of Kuniskis, never stated that the Durango Hellcat wouldn't ever go into production again. From Car Complaints: "The plaintiffs quote Kuniskis from an article that also says: "[T]he Durango Hellcat is not limited, not serialized like what we do with [Dodge Demon]" and the 2021 model year run of the vehicle did "not imply the end of the product lifecycle." Dodge is also claiming that the limited production of the Durango Hellcat had more to do with production difficulties arising from the Covid-19 pandemic; this is why just 3,000 were initially made. As for the owners who said they bought the SUV as an investment, Dodge called them out over those claims, saying that none of them mentioned storing or limiting their use of their Durango Hellcats, nor did any of the owners "claim they tried to sell their SUVs but the vehicles had lost value." Dodge also points out how none of the owners' Durangos are defective in any way or don't perform as advertised. Whatever happens, this case doesn't seem as if it'll be over anytime soon. Meanwhile Dodge has continued production of the Durango Hellcat. There's currently three 2025 model year special edition versions available to those with deep enough pockets: The Durango Hellcat Silver Bullet, Durango Hellcat Hammerhead and Durango Hellcat Brass Monkey. Each one will set you back $114,920 including destination charges, a hell of a lot more than the original 2021 Hellcats. This isn't the first time owners of a certain model have come after an automaker. In the 1970s, Cadillac Eldorado Convertible owners sued GM over a similar situation, with the owners claiming GM's continued production of the convertible misled buyers after the company said that it would stop making them. Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Dodge Is Back in Court with First-Year Durango Hellcat Buyers
'The Hellcat Durango will be a single model year run," Dodge's then-CEO Tim Kuniskis said at the launch event for the 710-horsepower supercharged SUV. Those words, and a few other statements like it, are at the center of a lawsuit-turned-mediation-turned-lawsuit between the automaker and its customers. The sticky issue is now heading back to court after the parties couldn't come to an agreement — and the strange part is that none of the legal wrangling has to do with a defect or flaw. Seven 2021 Dodge Durango Hellcat owners sued the automaker in 2023 for deceiving customers. They call it a "classic bait and switch scheme," in which the carmaker encouraged people to buy the car based on its limited production duration — Then, lo and behold, the Durango Hellcat returned for the 2023 model year. On its face, it's easy to see where the plaintiffs' complaints are coming from. Kuniskis's statement above is only a tiny piece of Dodge's marketing at the time. Kuniskis himself went on in that same quote to say, "When we turn the order books over to the '22 model year, the Durango Hellcat will be gone. So you've only got one shot. 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, however, isn't just rolling over and going along with this claim. The carmaker asserts in the suit that none of the plaintiffs have proven that they bought the car for its rarity, or that the company's marketing statements at the time influenced their buying decision. For its part, Dodge explained its move to restart Durango Hellcat production because it managed to meet emissions requirements it hadn't expected to. The two sides had entered mediation but reports that they're back in court after those talks fell through.,You can read the lawsuit in its entirety here. In the meantime, Dodge currently offers three 2025 model year Durango Hellcat variants, according to its website. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
CNN
30-01-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Pam Shriver says grand slam trophies that were stolen during wildfire evacuation have been recovered
Tennis Hall of Famer Pam Shriver recently shared a positive update regarding her stolen grand slam trophies, saying in a post on X on Tuesday that they are in the possession of local police. Shriver, one of the greatest doubles players in history, previously told CNN that a car she was using to temporarily store several of her grand slam trophies was stolen. Shriver was at the time staying in a hotel after she evacuated her home because of the Los Angeles-area wildfires. She since has returned to her home in Brentwood. 'We still hope to find black Dodge Durango Hellcat in one piece,' Shriver said in her post Tuesday. Shriver won 21 grand slam women's doubles titles in her storied career – 20 of those coming with another tennis great, Martina Navratilova – and one mixed doubles grand slam title. After seeing Shriver's news, Navratilova said on X, 'That is just awesome!!!! Well done the Police!!!' 'Today feels like we won another major!' Shriver said to her longtime partner in reply. Shriver won seven Australian Open titles, five Wimbledon titles, five US Open titles and four French Open titles in women's doubles. She won a French Open mixed doubles title in 1987 with Spain's Emilio Sánchez. In 1984, Shriver and Navratilova won the calendar grand slam, winning all four women's doubles major titles that year.
CNN
29-01-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Pam Shriver says grand slam trophies that were stolen during wildfire evacuation have been recovered
Tennis Hall of Famer Pam Shriver recently shared a positive update regarding her stolen grand slam trophies, saying in a post on X on Tuesday that they are in the possession of local police. Shriver, one of the greatest doubles players in history, previously told CNN that a car she was using to temporarily store several of her grand slam trophies was stolen. Shriver was at the time staying in a hotel after she evacuated her home because of the Los Angeles-area wildfires. She since has returned to her home in Brentwood. 'We still hope to find black Dodge Durango Hellcat in one piece,' Shriver said in her post Tuesday. Shriver won 21 grand slam women's doubles titles in her storied career – 20 of those coming with another tennis great, Martina Navratilova – and one mixed doubles grand slam title. After seeing Shriver's news, Navratilova said on X, 'That is just awesome!!!! Well done the Police!!!' 'Today feels like we won another major!' Shriver said to her longtime partner in reply. Shriver won seven Australian Open titles, five Wimbledon titles, five US Open titles and four French Open titles in women's doubles. She won a French Open mixed doubles title in 1987 with Spain's Emilio Sánchez. In 1984, Shriver and Navratilova won the calendar grand slam, winning all four women's doubles major titles that year.
