For several years now, Ford has been battling a Ford Focus and Fiesta transmission case alleging that the automaker sold those vehicles knowing they were equipped with faulty gearboxes. Just last spring, a judge approved a settlement for the Focus and Fiesta transmission case, and those affected received retribution ranging from $20 all the way up to a full buyback of their vehicle, depending on the circumstances.
However, some owners that opted out of the class-action lawsuit are still pursuing claims based on violations of Michigan’s consumer protection statute. Just yesterday, a half dozen Michigan county prosecutors, along with state Attorney General Dana Nessel, filed a legal briefing asking the Michigan Supreme Court to reconsider the case so that judges can provide clarity on how the Michigan Consumer Protection Act is properly interpreted and applied, according to the Detroit Free Press.
“Consumers will benefit from this Court hearing this case and correcting a longstanding misinterpretation of consumer-protection law,” Nessel said in the brief. She and the other prosecutors are arguing that courts have limited application of the act, to the point where it’s been rendered virtually useless.
Prosecutors also say that allowing the affected Focus and Fiesta owners to have their case heard could in turn help Michigan residents seeking protections originally intended by the legislation. The Ford case involves over 12,000 owners that opted out of the original class-action suit and chose to pursue their own legal action against the automaker.
Previously, Judge Annette Berry of the Wayne County Circuit Court ruled that the Michigan Consumer Protection Act gives those owners the standing to sue, but an appeals court later sided with Ford, saying the act did not apply. The owners then appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court, which now faces an important decision.
Ford is standing its ground and recently affirmed that it believes the original ruling was correct. “Consumers should have protections,” Ford spokesman Said Deep told the Free Press. “They do under other existing statutes or regulations. The Michigan Supreme Court fully reviewed an application to appeal that decision and decided not to take the case. Ford believes this is the correct interpretation of the statute.”
We’ll have more on this pending legal case very soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford lawsuit news and 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comments
Bought a used 2012 Ford Focus for my Daughter. She absolutely loves the car . Only issue was the transmission. Twice in 4 years. Ford service in Canada was top notch in resolving the issue. Free of charge both times. Ford’s forever.
YES WE GOT A 2013 AND FORD REPLACE THE COMMAND MOD 10 TIMES AND THE DUEL CLUCH ASSY 5 TIMES AT NO CHARGE THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WE TRY TO GET FORD TO REPLACE THE TRANNS WITH A DIFFANCE ONE BUT NO THEY SAID IT WOULD REQUARE MOUNTING PROBLEMS AND ORTHER PROBLEMS BUT WE HAD TO GET THE DEALER TO TRADE US OUT NOW I HAVE A BILL THAT IS MORE THAN A CAN AFFORD BUT AT 80 YEARS OLD WHAT AM I TO DO
FORD I HAVE BEEN IN YOUR CORRENER FOR ABOUT 60 YEARS I DRIVE ONLY FORD JAMES
I am disappointed in ford. How many years have they been building auto transmissions. My 1990 f150 had a terrible transmission I had to drain an flush it every 30000 miles or it would act up and not shift out of first. My 2004 f150 has been bullet proof. Getting a new f150 this year…
I am very disappointed with Ford. I never received a transmission recall letter which Ford here on the Big Island Hawaii showed me.
I bought my Ford Fiesta in September 2013. I did not have any problems until November 2020. I experienced something was wrong with my car when I was coming out of the gate of the school where I work. My husband used it once and he also experienced it. We brought it to Ford here on the Big Island Hawaii and the guy there said that if it was related to transmission, I didn’t have to pay the check up. Sounds good! But after it was diagnosed that it was the transmission and was related to the recall, he said he was sorry that the recall for my car has expired in July. He gave me a copy of the recall which I never received. If I received the recall letter, I should have brought my car earlier. I explained that I didn’t use my car from April to July because of school closure due to Covid pandemic as we all know. And If I used it within those months, I should have experienced it earlier before my recall coverage expired in July.
I paid the check up for more than $150. Replace of transmission parts will cost $800. So disappointing!
The staff gave me the Customer Service number to call. I tried to call and no answer. I used online customer service and communicated with 2 customer service rep and they both said the same thing. They couldn’t help me because it is the policy. I called the Ford Manager and she tried to help me call whoever os in charge. We waited for weeks and no answer. No chance it will be approved, she said. I thought of trading my car and the For Sales Manager quoted it only at 1500!!!! Imagine, it their product and they are pricing my car very low which means that they only produce low quality products.
I hope they can hear me right now. I pray that God will help us Fiesta and Focus owners to get this recall.
I believe there is no expiration date on auto recalls, have your states’ Attorney General write a letter to this poorly managed company and take this company to the cleaners.
I received a card letting me know of the class action suite 2 years ago regarding my 2011 ford fiesta, filled it out and to this day have heard not a word from anyone. No compensation, etc. I had trasmittion fix 3 times since 2016 but failed each time. It is failing again but ford will not fix it as im out of warranty. I also contacted vargas which was handling this suite and never heard from them again. Im not seeing where there ever was a recall letter sent.
In a lawsuit with Stern Law in Michigan. Have had clutch replaced twice, on a car with 30,000 miles. It needs a new clutch now but with me only driving it on weekends, it’s not really a priority. This is a 2016, traded in a 2014 which was a nightmare, Ford would not touch it, the 16 was a complete 180, service writer went out of her way to help me, sadly they know my name I have been there so often. Mine does not qualify for extended warranty, it a crap shoot who does qualify, it sucks. And you can’t buy a warranty, learned that pretty quickly.
I wish the owners who opted out of the class-action lawsuit all the luck in the world and a nice huge settlement.
I never received a recall notice either and joined the class lawsuite and never heard anything from that either. How do we find out on our own ruling? I jave had everything repaired 3 times and now starting to go again but since out of warranty they wont fix it unless i pay for it
I bought a 2003 used iam on disability and I have a very low income. I couldn’t afford much.
I had been driving a Buick with over 5 hundred thousand miles and it 2004. It will still start and run. I never had to replace 1 part. I get this focus and its been one thing after another. I can’t afford it but now the back end is broke I can’t even drive it. Now what. Than I see they Ford started recalling Ford’s for bad suspension.
What am I going to do now.
I have never been so disappointed in car before in my life! I have a 2015 Ford Focus and I have had nothing but issues with it since I have owned it. First 2 years transmission, (which still is not “fixed” correctly), took it back to the dealer again for the same issue and because I needed a new purge valve they said that was why it was shuddering, guess what got purge valve replaced and it’s still doing it worse then ever!!! Had the radio fixed twice and had an issue one day with some kind of steering fault while driving down the road.! So glad I am able to finally get rid it in August, if it last that long.NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY A FORD
Is there any update on the Michigan case?
No, things have not moved forward as it is being handled in MI and with Covid, everything has been shut down.
My 2015 FOCUS has just over 12,000 miles on it. The transmission is broken. My local dealer says it is not covered by extended warantees. They want $4140.89 to fix it. Hubby and I bought the car when we retired, paid for it then. We are on SS now and we don’t get $4000. in a month. I guess we can use the car for yard art and start using delivery services.
We called Special Customer Service @ 833-805-3673 sp we are to be contacted by the Arbitration representative within 10 days. The CS rep gave me an Arbitration Case Number: CAS31735053
I know it is just wishful thinking, but I’m hoping to get my car fixed.
You should contact Stern Law in Michigan to join the lawsuit. 248-347-7300