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Ford has been notorious for its scandals, which date back over half a century. At the start of the ‘80s, the Ford Motor Company had to pay approximately 20 million dollars to settle lawsuits. These resulted from the faulty transmissions in the vehicles they manufactured between 1966 and 1979. Over 23 million Ford vehicles had those transmissions. They would cause the car to go in reverse even after the driver put it in park mode. In 1980, the Center for Auto Safety in Washington released a report stating that 1,500 injuries and almost 100 deaths had occurred as a result of defective transmissions.
Unfortunately, history does repeat itself. Ford is undergoing several class action lawsuits due to their Ford F-150 10-speed automatic transmissions, first released in their 2017 trucks. They seemed to be reliable at first, but over the past few years, many issues have come to light, causing drivers to worry about whether their investment was worth the risk or not. We have compiled all the information regarding the latest ongoing Ford class action lawsuit, so if you’d like to learn all about it, keep reading!
About the F-150 10-Speed Transmissions
The 10-speed transmission in question has been optional since its birth, but with the 2021 F-150, it became the standard. Of course, it seemed beneficial to go for 10 different speeds as they provide:
- A more enhanced than the Chevy, offering 6 and 8-speed automatic transmissions.
- Optimize fuel economy.
- Claimed to perform better than previous Ford truck transmissions.
Cause of the Transmission Issues
Some 2017 F-150 owners noted that their vehicle’s transmission would slip under acceleration or slam into gear. It was even observed that the transmission would slip out of the gear when accelerated. Other Ford vehicle owners noted that their transmission would intermittently lock into a random gear and be able to change it. They would have to keep it parked for a few hours before they could start driving it as normal. However, these issues are recurring and can be very stressful to undergo.
As per the ClassAction.org attorneys investigating the recent Ford transmission issues, it may be due to a design or manufacturing defect present within all the latest 10-speed auto transmissions.
The Ford Vehicles Currently Under Investigation
The attorneys involved in the class action lawsuit further investigated the claims of people facing issues with the 10R80 transmission installed in their Ford vehicle. These include:
- The 2018-2022 Lincoln Nav
- The 2019-2022 Ranger
- The 2018-2022 Mustang
- The 2018-2022 Expedition
Earlier in 2022, Ford published an official “technical service bulletin” that stated the specified cars have an issue with their transmission and might cause the light to indicate that you should check your engine to illuminate. This issued statement did outline a solution to the problem, but drivers have reported that it did not work, with those who didn’t have a warranty having to pay for labor themselves.
The class action lawsuit against Ford, which has been proposed, is due to some Ford vehicle owners facing an issue with the F-150 10-speed transmission and alleging that it does create a considerable risk of death and bodily harm. It has led to the vehicle’s value decreasing. Attorneys suspect this isn’t an entire issue and that those driving other Ford vehicle models with the 10-speed transmission can also make the same claim.
Reports by Ford Vehicle Owners
When the 10-speed transmission was released in Ford vehicles in 2017 onwards, Ford issued a technical service bulletin a year later, advising dealers to reprogram the truck’s ECU if harsh shifting was being experienced. However, even when the vehicle owners went to the dealer to get the work done, it would continue to be problematic. Moreover, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that most drivers would experience the issue worsening after returning.
In the next 2 or so years, Ford vehicle owners would experience a loud pounding noise when the gear was shifted, after which there would be a harsh jerk. Many also reported the transmission making a loud noise when they’d put the gear into drive mode from the Park. In addition, complainants noted that technicians couldn’t repeat the specific issues when they took their truck to a Ford dealer. Other times, they’d tell the drivers that the truck was completely fine. This goes to show the unpredictability of the transmission issues. One 2021 F-150 owner who only had 200 miles on their vehicle lodged a complaint with the NHTSA, stating that the technician working at the Ford dealership claimed that the transmission and shifter were experiencing a communication error. Moreover, the driver was told that Ford did not have any solution to this problem.
Ford Attempting to Take Action
In the first quarter of 2021, it was reported that Ford recalled approximately 50,000 of the F-150 2021 trucks, as the transmission would spontaneously shift gears into neutral. The truck would then stop, automatically going into park mode. This report claimed that software issues were to blame for this. Ford explained that the vehicle’s software would falsely indicate low transmission pressure to the ECU, making the gear by default shift to Neutral and then to Park once the car stops. The mechanism automatically does this when it fears the transmission will get damaged. The reference number for this recall is 22V188.
After a year, Ford took the initiative by introducing some steps to help fix problems with the 10-speed transmissions. The first step that Ford took was to replace the chips that held the shifter cable. Some trucks needed some unidentified components to be replaced. In several cases, Ford extended the warranties for drivers while trying to identify the problems.
How Will the Class Action Lawsuit Help?
The proposed class action lawsuit can help affected drivers recover all the money spent on repairs and compensate them for their vehicle’s decreasing value. The lawsuit can also force Ford into recalling and adequately remedying the prevalent transmission issue free of cost.
Bottom Line
If a prominent car manufacturer such as Ford can seem to be selling cars with a faulty transmission and is having trouble figuring out the issue, then indeed, many others would also be doing something similar. Thus, observing the problems you are facing is crucial, especially if your car is relatively new.
If you happen to find yourself with frustrated with repeated trips to the dealership, missing time from work and having to rent or borrow cars you are not alone. Our experienced attorneys can handle all auto lemon cases so that you do not need to suffer anymore. Call (833) the Lemon Firm if you want to consult with a case analyst today.