Consumers hit Ford Motor Company with a class action lawsuit alleging it misled buyers about the payload and towing capacity of its F-350 pickups.
The lawsuit says Ford advertised its trucks as having “Best in Class” towing capacity and targeted consumers looking for trucks capable of towing heavy loads. However, it also claims Ford made misrepresentations regarding the trucks’ payload capacity, accessory reserve capacity, and the vehicles’ weight values.
According to the lawsuit, Ford knew about the trucks’ actual load weight and payload capacity before it mispresented them to customers. It claims the misrepresentations matter because customers would not have bought the trucks if they knew Ford misstated the vehicles’ payload and load weight capacity.
Worse, the lawsuit claims that Ford’s misrepresentations create a safety hazard to vehicles owners because they can overload the trucks if they rely on Ford’s statements about the trucks’ payload and load weight capacities. That allegedly results in component wear and failure that can cause loss of control and accidents.
Lead Plaintiff:
The lead Plaintiff, David Rathmann, says he bought a 2020 F-Super Duty F350 truck for $67,000 in Odessa, Texas. He bought the truck for its payload and towing capacity because he wanted to tow RV trailers. When he purchased the F-350 truck, it purported to have the most payload capacity of any single rear-wheel truck. Later, he received new information from Ford that showed his truck had less towing and payload capacity than Ford previously claimed.
Remedies Sought:
The lawsuit seeks to represent all individuals in the United States who purchased or leased any 2020 Ford F-Super Duty, F350 configured with the 6.7L.
It claims such individuals have suffered diminution of the value of their vehicles and/or have incurred costs necessary to replace the trucks. The lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $5,000,000 and an award of attorney fees and costs from bringing the lawsuit.
Lawsuit Information:
The lawsuit is Rathmann v. Ford Motor Company, No. 6:21-cv-00610. It is pending in the Western District of Texas before Judge Alan D. Albright.
