Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the EPA look poised to reach an agreement about how the 2017 Ram EcoDiesel will be modified to prevent any further potential emissions violations.
The lawsuit filed by the Justice Department in May alleges that 2014-16 Ram 1500s with the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 could be in violation of existing legal requirements and emissions standards. Regulators accused FCA of having undisclosed emissions controls in that engine that could potentially allow for excess pollution levels during normal driving. FCA has denied those allegations.
Automotive News now is reporting that the automaker's lawyer expects to win U.S. approval for the proposed fix for the emissions issues by the end of March or early April 2018. Testing is likely to start this month and take several months to complete.
In July, FCA won federal and the California Air Resources Board's approval to sell 2017 EcoDiesel versions of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV and , after not being allowed to do so for more than a year.