Stellantis, California Settle Another Diesel Violation For $4.2 Million

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced it has reached a settlement with Stellantis over yet another vehicle emissions violation. This one involves diesel-powered Ram ProMaster vans, and is one of three major settlements in the last five years. The settlement nets CARB more than $4 million that will support various environmental programs.

The Details Of The Violation And Settlement

The settlement is a result of CARB violations on 2014 to 2016 Ram ProMaster 1500, 2500, and 3500 vans equipped with the 3.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder. CARB apparently discovered undisclosed equipment on the vans that caused them to emit more nitrogen oxides (NOx) in typical use than what the certified model was supposed to. The organization further claimed that the result of these non-compliant vans was the release of an additional 55 tons of NOx emissions since the vehicles being on the road.

Your changes have been saved

Add CarBuzz to your Google News feed.

The final cost of the settlement came to $4,185,820. It also includes a requirement for Stellantis to recall the affected vans to bring their emissions systems into compliance. CARB stated that roughly one half of the funds will go to the organization’s Air Pollution Control Fund for related projects, and the other half will go to a project for slowing down cargo vessels in specific areas to improve air quality and wildlife safety, specifically for whales.

The Other Settlements

As we mentioned, this is not the first time Stellantis has crossed CARB. There are two other notable settlements from recent years starting with one in 2019. This was an especially large one that also involved the federal government. CARB discovered eight undisclosed emissions devices in software that would shut off or restrict the exhaust gas recirculation and diesel exhaust fluid systems in various circumstances, putting it out of compliance with emissions regulations. It included more than 100,000 2014 to 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500s with the turbocharged 3.0-liter diesel V6. The final settlement was for more than $500 million, with more than $78 million going to California.

In 2022, there was a smaller settlement with CARB, and that one was, surprisingly, not related to diesels. Instead, it found that 2012 to 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 were testing out of compliance. This violation ended in a $5.6 million going to the emissions organization. Stellantis recently axed the Hemi V8 altogether.

The ProMaster’s Diesel Days Are Over

In case you haven’t been up on your commercial van knowledge, you might be interested to know that the diesel ProMaster has been out of production for a few years now. The last model year was 2018. The 3.0-liter turbo four-cylinder made just 174 horsepower, but 295 pound-feet of torque. It was paired with a single-clutch automated manual transmission, rather than the conventional six-speed automatic used with the 3.6-liter gas V6.

Related

2025 Ram ProMaster EV First Drive Review: Electrifying The Backbone Of American Industry

Delivery vans everywhere are going electric. Stellantis wants a piece of the action & the 2025 Ram ProMaster EV could be a winner.

The gas V6 remains as the only internal combustion option for the ProMaster, now coupled with a nine-speed automatic, but an electric version is joining the line soon. It features a front-mounted electric motor producing 268 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque. It has an estimated range for city driving just above 160 miles and costs a little more than $77,000 for the base model.