F-Series is the long-standing best-selling vehicle in the U.S., which means that potentially big settlements and fees are involved.
An Ohio couple who own a Ford Taurus SHO and an F-150 have filed a class action lawsuit that claims the EcocBoost engine intercooler and intake system design is defective and prone to sudden failure. The suit mirrors one filed last February in another jurisdiction alleging the same thing, asking for $500 million in damages. These legal matters are now looking like just the beginnings of potentially prolonged and image-damaging actions about Ford’s claimed fuel economy breakthrough with the downsized EcoBoost engine. (Class Action Suit Filed Against F-150 EcoBoost Engines for Stalling)
Both suits allege that 2011 and 2012 model F-150 trucks with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost turbocharged V6 engine contain a dangerous defect that causes the vehicles to shake violently, shudder and stall when drivers attempt to accelerate. Ford issued several service bulletins to dealers about the problem, but not to owners, before redesigning the intake system for the 2013 model year. Owners of older models are facing costly repairs.
Attorneys say that when F-150 drivers accelerate that moisture is forced into the engine, causing the vehicle to shudder. In severe cases, the F-150’s computer controls put the engine into “limp mode,” cutting power to prevent damage. The lawsuits against Ford seeks to provide compensation to all current or former owners and/or lessees of model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 vehicles. Hundreds of thousands of Ford vehicles are potentially affected.
