A putative class action lawsuit filed this month alleges certain Ford trucks contain defective high-pressure fuel injection pumps supplied by parts supplier Robert Bosch GmbH.
The class vehicles cited in plaintiff’s complaint are 2011-present model year Ford diesel trucks equipped with 6.7L Power Stroke diesel engines and contain the allegedly defective fuel injection pump. Plaintiff contends Ford has concealed the allegedly defective design of the fuel injection pump, which generates metal shavings that contaminate the fuel system and can lead to engine failure. When consumers complain, Plaintiff contends Ford blames vehicle owners for the metal shavings in the fuel and tries to delay owners’ discovery of the damages, all in order to deny warranty claims and in the hope that final catastrophic failure occurs outside of warranty.
The proposed class representative is a South Carolina resident who alleges he paid more than $11,000 to repair a related issue in his 2017 Ford Power Stroke diesel F20 (Platinum). He seeks to represent a class consisting of “all persons or entities who purchased or leased one or more of the Class Vehicles in South Carolina.” To represent the class, he will need to achieve class certification.
As alleged in the complaint, even short of catastrophic engine failure, the defective part can harm the engine and related components in numerous ways, including over-fueling, broken injector tips, fuel spray hitting the cylinder wall and cylinder overheating, melted/twisted pistons, hydraulic lock, and damaged exhaust values, turbochargers, cylinder heads, exhaust manifolds, and emission control.
The lawsuit raises claims including violations of South Carolina business laws and breach of warranty. It seeks remedies including restitution, damages, injunctive relief in the form of a recall/free replacement/buy-back program, and attorney fees.
A December 8, 2022, docket entry indicates Ford has until February 6, 2023, to file an answer to Plaintiff’s complaint.
Class action lawsuits go through multiple stages and can last several years before consumers receive compensation for an auto defect.
The case is Williams v. Ford Motor Co., case number 2:22-cv-12957-PDB-KGA, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
