Imagine you’re cruising along the highway, doing 70 mph in the fast lane. Then you see your dashboard light up and feel your car’s engine shut down. You’re coasting without any help from the power steering or power brakes to get your car back under control. And your kid’s buckled into a child seat in the back.

This is an actual failure Carley Phillips says she suffered with her 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe. When asked for comment, Jeep admitted 2022–2026 Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrids have been recalled for this issue. An issue with how the electronic components of the two separate powertrains communicate with one another can result in “the propulsion system shutting down without warning and increase the risk of a collision.”

Can you sue a car company?

Normally, suing a car company for a problem they’ve owned up to and are fixing through a recall would be an uphill battle. But the kicker is that the Phillips’ leased Jeep had already been in and out of the shop for over 30 days. The automaker told them it was fixed before this terrifying shutdown. When PJ Phillips demanded a different vehicle, Jeep even offered him a small monthly “customer retention” payment to keep driving the same Jeep.

Family says Jeep didn’t do enough

After the highway shutdown, the Phillips family is done. They’re suing Jeep for the problem and asking for their money back. PJ says, “This is a family car and it’s unsafe, and I’m doing what’s best for my family.”

Jeep’s offered them a bit of cash back, but adjusted for deflation and that customer retention payment. The Phillipses say that’s not good enough. They’ve been making a $700 monthly payment for reliable transportation and Jeep didn’t deliver, so they want all their money back.

You can see how the saga is unfolding in the interview embedded below: