Ford F-150 Brake Master Cylinder Class Action Thrown Out

In recent years, more than one lawsuit has been filed pertaining to faulty master cylinders in select 2013-2018 Ford F-150 pickups that led to brake failure in certain instances, a problem that was traced back to defective sealing mechanisms. Future filings expanded to cover more models – such as the 2016-2017 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, which were recalled over faulty seals on master cylinders that caused fluid leaks. Ford scored a favorable ruling in one of these suits roughly one year ago, and now, it has had another similar Ford F-150 master cylinder lawsuit thrown out, too.

According to Car Complaints, the lawsuit – Weidman et al., v. Ford Motor Company – is now officially over, roughly six years after it was originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Southern Division). “The parties stipulate that this case is dismissed in its entirety with prejudice and without any court award of costs or fees to any party,” Judge Gershwin A. Drain said of the decision.

This lawsuit claimed that the Hitachi brake master cylinders used in 2013-2018 Ford F-150 pickups were defective, as the seals present in those units leak brake fluid into the brake boosters, which can cause the brakes to fail. It contended that two internal seals should have been used to prevent this from happening. Regardless, the legal case has faced its fair share of problems over the past six years leading up to its dismissal in court.

Many of the lawsuit’s claims were dismissed back in 2019, though the plaintiffs were allowed to change and refile, but eventually, only five states were represented, along with Ford F-150 pickups that hadn’t been included in a recall issued by the automaker. The lawsuit was then reduced to four states and had its class action status removed, after which it headed back to the district court for reconsideration of the arguments.