Jeep Wrangler 4xe owners could get up to $750 in proposed $5 million deal over the FORM mode that blocks electric driving
FCA US and owners of 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrids filed a proposed $5 million class settlement in Delaware federal court on October 26, 2026, over a cold-weather engine mode that the owners say kept their Jeeps from driving on electric power.
The case is Crowell v. FCA U.S. LLC, case number 1:23-cv-00013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, before Judge Maryellen Noreika. It was filed in January 2023 and had been on hold for mediation for much of the past year. On October 26, 2026, the plaintiffs filed the settlement agreement together with a brief asking the court to approve it, and on November 3 the judge entered an order setting deadlines and hearings. The settlement is not final until the court approves it.
The dispute is about the Fuel and Oil Refresh Mode, known as FORM. It is a routine in the 4xe plug-in hybrid system that runs the gasoline engine to burn off old fuel or bring the oil up to temperature, and while it is active the vehicle will not drive in electric-only mode. The lawsuit alleges that in cold weather the Jeeps could stay stuck in this mode for long stretches, far beyond what owners expected, which took away the main reason many bought a plug-in hybrid. FCA US denies the claims and says FORM works as designed. There has been no finding that the vehicles are defective.
Under the proposed deal as described in the filings, the settlement class is narrower than the original lawsuit. It covers 2021 Wrangler 4xe vehicles equipped with FORM that were bought or leased in Washington, D.C. or one of 29 cold-weather states, roughly 29,000 vehicles. Owners who state under oath that their Jeep spent more than 2.5 hours of operation in FORM could receive $400 per vehicle, plus $250 for one documented complaint about getting out of FORM, or $350 for two or more, for a maximum of $750. Only the extra complaint payments would be reduced if total claims exceed the $5 million fund. Plaintiffs' lawyers plan to ask separately for fees and costs.
The deal does not cover 2022 and 2023 Wrangler 4xe or Grand Cherokee 4xe owners, even though those vehicles were part of the original complaint, and it does not cover 2021 owners outside the listed states.
FORM is a separate issue from the safety recalls on these Jeeps. The 2021 Wrangler 4xe is included in recall 24V720000, filed in September 2024 for 154,032 Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe vehicles because the high-voltage battery can fail internally and catch fire, and in recall 26V363000, filed in June 2026, over power steering pump wiring that can overheat. Complaints to the federal safety agency about FORM are scattered across 4xe model years, including reports of the mode returning soon after an oil change and of electric drive cutting out on the highway.
If you own a 2021 Wrangler 4xe, you do not need to do anything yet. Claim forms and deadlines will only be published after the court grants preliminary approval and notice goes out. In the meantime, gather any service records or written complaints about FORM, since documented complaints could raise a payment. Separately, make sure both recalls have been done on your Jeep. If you are looking at a used 2021 Wrangler 4xe, ask for the recall history and expect the engine to run more than you might think in cold weather.
Owners of the vehicles involved have filed 2 safety complaints in the engine category with the federal safety agency.
Court records and sources
Vehicles involved
- Jeep Wrangler 4xe 2021 2021