Last month, Ford Motor Company recalled select 2020-2022 Ford Escape, Lincoln Corsair, and 2022 Ford Maverick hybrid and plug-in hybrid models after 23 of those vehicles caught fire across the globe. The automaker later discovered that the problem was caused by leaking fluids stemming from hot engine bays, after which it instructed dealers to add drain holes to the under-hood shield and change the active grille shutters to allow more air flow and reduce under-hood temperatures. However, some have found this fix to be inadequate, and as such, have filed a class-action lawsuit claiming that these Ford hybrids are still unsafe after it’s completed, according to Business Wire.
The lawsuit – filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan by Hagens Berman – alleges that Ford’s fix for this particular issue does not address the root cause of the problem, and can even represent an environmental hazard as it allows fluids to leak out of the vehicle, potentially setting up owners for injury and property damage.
“Ford’s fix is essentially rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic,” said Steve Berman, Hagens Berman co-founder and managing partner. “While drivers, their families and others on the road attend to the real crisis of a potential vehicle fire due to this manufacturing defect, Ford’s solution does nothing to address the issue at hand and will mean an unknowable amount of engine fluids will be spilled onto roads, leaching into groundwater and soil.”
The lawsuit also claims that in addition to spilling engine fluids onto roads, groundwater, and soil, these Ford hybrids may still be susceptible to fire as well, due to the fact that oil is flammable. Meanwhile, Ford has told customers that most of the affected vehicles named in this case are still covered under the automaker’s new vehicle and powertrain warranties.
We’ll have more on this and all of Ford’s active lawsuits soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford lawsuit news and 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comments
Can’t make this up anymore. It’s as bad as the doctor telling you to come back in a few months and telling you that he can’t do anything for you and on it goes.
I was waiting to look at the new 2023 Escape PHEV, due to the better looking front end, and now this comes up? Makes me loose so much faith in Ford, that my interest has now changed to the Dodge Hornet R/T / Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV. Much better presented vehicles, with a better interior, for the same price, or cheaper, then the cheap looking and being, Escape.
Does not Ford itself produce four cylinder engines which don’t leak? I’d like to buy a Hybrid Maverick-it’s exactly what I’m looking for, but at 70 I have no interest in participating in a Class Action Lawsuit. I may not live to see it settled!
Click the link and you can read the PR piece by the plaintiff’s law firm. The Berman firm has made it’s name (and millions $$$) by bringing class action suits against auto manufacturers. If the vehicles were spewing oil or hazardous fluids, they would not be allowed on the roads. The plaintiff is from California, but didn’t sue where he resides or where his vehicle was purchased and used. According to Berman, Ford discovered problems related to potential overheating, smoke and possible fire in May/June 2022 ( just a month before the lawsuit was filed). Ford’s response was to implement a remedy that would prevent the overheating, which was the determined cause of melted parts and leaks. The suit doesn’t claim that Ford’s solution didn’t reduce the higher temperature cause; rather, it claims simply that fluids “may” continue to leak. Berman is in it purely to make $$$$, please don’t pretend that it is for altruistic purposes.
How old is Alan Mulally? Beg him to come back to save this company.
The Berman law firm did the heavy lifting in VW diesel debacle and while the firm was well compensated, it also removed hundreds of thousands of misrepresented vehicles from the road and recovered millions of dollars for the duped owners of those vehicles. I owned two of them and the Berman law firm provided a tremendous public service. Consumers in other countries didn’t fare as well. Their efforts also changed the trajectory of VW and likely helped fuel the move to electric powered vehicles worldwide. Sometimes there is justice for consumers.
Does anyone know if this issue includes the 2023 Maverick?, I wanted to buy one and placed an order in the queue.
This is very concerning. I have a 2021 Hybrid Escape and I thought there was just a small batch of engines with mis-machined parts affected and that the general recall was just Ford being over-cautious. But now I’m wondering how widespread the problem is. I like the design and efficiency of my Escape, but the quality is very disappointing – cheap materials and lots of rattles. Of course, it’s still beats paying $10k over list for a Toyota or Honda.