Blue Oval Wants Ford Hybrid Engine Class Action Suit Dismissed

Back in June 2023, Ford recalled select 2020-2023 Ford Escape, 2022-2023 Ford Maverick, and 2021-2023 Lincoln Corsair models equipped with 2.5L hybrid or plug-in hybrid engines over an engine fire risk – replacing a previously-issued recall. Though it didn’t have a remedy for the problem at that time, this past summer, Ford launched a Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) offering affected customers a one-time engine replacement, if needed. Regardless, more than one lawsuit has been filed over this problem, and now, Ford is asking the court to dismiss one of them

According to Car Complaints, Ford has asked the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan to dismiss the lawsuit Anthony Pacheco v. Ford Motor Company, for a number of reasons. For starters, none of the plaintiffs have reportedly provided facts that support the notion that their vehicles’ defects had anything to do with vehicle fires – which occurred in two cases – while others purchased vehicles after the recall was issued and haven’t experienced stalling or a fire at all.

Rather, those owners claim that they’ve experienced “concern” and “anxiety” as a result of the defect, while Ford is arguing that fear of a”possible future injury” or “speculative fear” of harm won’t hold up in court. “Instead, they emphasize their subjective beliefs that Ford’s remedies are inadequate based on their own personal concerns, anxiety, and worry,” the automaker stated in its dismissal request. Ford also addressed claims that it sold these vehicles even though it allegedly knew they were defective.

“And, as in so many such actions, purported class representatives do not grapple with the absurdity of their notion that a car company knowingly concealed a defect that, when it manifests, might result in a fire, when that same company would have to spend far more to fix on recall what could have been fixed presale at the factory,” the automaker noted.