Missouri, Illinois Jeep Owners Sue Fiat Chrysler Over Hacking

Car owners in Belleville, Ill., and eastern Missouri have filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler and a dashboard computer manufacturer after two hackers used a laptop computer to take control of a Jeep being driven on a St. Louis highway.

A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis, Ill., names the company that makes Jeeps as well as Harmon International Indus-tries, manufacturer of the uConnect dashboard computers in millions of Chrysler vehicles.

The lawsuit comes after the hackers used the Internet to gain remote control of a Jeep as it traveled on Interstate 64. The Jeep’s driver was a Wired magazine reporter who knew the hackers’ intent in advance.

Fiat Chrysler has since recalled 1.4 million Jeeps.

The company has more troubles than just hacked vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fined Fiat Chrysler $105 million in June over problems with its execution of 23 vehicle safety recalls covering more than 11 million vehicles. In addition to paying the civil penalty, NHTSA said Fiat Chrysler would submit to federal oversight and buy back some defective vehicles from owners.