A class action lawsuit alleges that a defect in the roofs of certain Ford Trucks poses safety issues.
The lawsuit, filed in September 2022, contends Ford sold Super-Duty pickup trucks that it “knew had a dangerously weak roof structure that would collapse in the event of a roll-over accident, gravely injuring or killing vehicle occupants.” Ford also did nothing to promptly warn owners and lessees of such trucks, “instead entering into secret settlements with crash victims to hide the deadline nature of its roof design defect,” the complaint contends.
The trucks at issue in the complaint are the model years 1999-2016 Ford Super-Duty. According to the lawsuit, the alleged defect gained national attention after a Georgia jury awarded $1.7 billion in punitive damages in August 2022 to the family of two individuals killed when the roof of their 2002 F-250 Super-Duty collapsed in a rollover accident.
The proposed class action lawsuit raises claims including breach of warranty, fraudulent concealment, unjust enrichment, and violation of state consumer laws. The class representative, Steven Beck, asserts he is concerned about driving his Ford F-350 Super-Duty, as he fears what could happen if he were to be involved in a rollover accident, and he has already experienced a shaking also referred to as “death-wobble” in his truck.
The lawsuit seeks remedies including restitution and damages.
The case is Steven Beck v. Ford Motor Co., case number 2:22-cv-12079-PDB-DRG, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
