by Ford in Court Over EcoBoost Engine Problems
Ford is facing a class action lawsuit from owners of 2013–2019 model year vehicles. The issue concerns models with small EcoBoost engines that have failed. The plaintiffs claim that the manufacturer knew about a design defect but did not inform customers about it.
The Essence of the Problem
The lawsuit involves the following models:
The main complaint is that coolant leaks into the cylinders due to a defect in the engine block. This leads to overheating and complete engine failure. In the plaintiffs’ opinion, Ford could have prevented the problem but limited itself to only installing coolant level sensors.
“Ford did not eliminate the source of the defect even for those customers whose cars are still under warranty. Instead of replacing the engine block, the company offers only temporary solutions,” the lawsuit states.
In 2020, Ford released a technical bulletin recommending the replacement of the engine block and head gasket on the Fusion and Escape. However, owners claim that even the new engines have the same flaw.
Technical experts who investigated the problem point to a defect in the head gasket between the cylinders. This could be either a design flaw or a result of natural wear and tear, but the scale of the problem suggests the former.
This situation raises serious questions about Ford’s quality control procedures, especially considering that the EcoBoost engines were positioned as innovative and reliable. It is telling that the problems arose precisely in popular models that represented a significant share of the company’s sales over the last decade. The court’s decision could set a precedent for similar cases in the future.
