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Ford Moves To Dismiss Fuel Economy Lawsuit

May. 26, 2020 12:05 PM ET by Karl Furlong Trucks / 7 Comments Manufacturer wants a host of class-action lawsuits to be dismissed. Ford got into some hot water last year when it was sued for over $1 billion for allegedly overstating fuel economy numbers for the Ranger and F-150, the latter being the top-selling vehicle in the country. Some owners complained that they'd be spending over $2,000 more than anticipated in fuel costs over the lifetime of the vehicle, which led to multiple class-action lawsuits. Now, Ford has shot back. According to a report by Car Complaints, the manufacturer says that the MPG class action lawsuits - which were amalgamated in Michigan - should be dismissed because of one key fact: the plaintiffs confused estimated fuel economy with actual economy. The debacle also goes back to Ford doing its own internal investigation for possibly inaccurate emissions and economy testing. Ford Ford Ford Ford Plaintiffs claimed that there are errors in how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached its economy estimates for certain Fords manufactured between 2017 and 2019. In response, Ford's motion to dismiss states: "In so doing, Plaintiffs insert themselves into an extensively regulated technical regime that is under active supervision of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)". Ford's attorneys have also said that various US courts have rejected consumers' attempts to define EPA estimates as a guarantee of economy figures in the real world. The plaintiffs cited an unnamed independent tester and a truck blogger as examples of the higher economy readings. Again, however, these unnamed testers based their conclusions on the Monroney label (window sticker) which both Ford and the EPA say display fuel economy estimates. Ford Ford Ford Ford While Ford is technically correct regarding the EPA numbers being estimates, we previously reported on claims of an F-150 returning a highway economy figure of 15 percent lower than EPA estimates, which makes the printed figures suddenly look quite inflated, especially to the uninitiated. Ford was also accused of using a mileage cheat device that returns false readings, which it denies. We've known for some time that EPA ratings rarely provide a 100 percent accurate prediction of economy, and is best utilized as a tool to compare potential economy between similar vehicles. Ford says that testing on the road "will often yield different results than those obtained under the EPA's testing process." It remains to be seen what will come of the lawsuit, but for now it looks like Ford has no intention of buckling. Ford Ford Source Credits: Car Complaints

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Ford F-150 Karl Furlong Senior Editor Sweaty-palmed hot laps are fun, but Karl is a gearhead cut from a different cloth - or is that finely stitched Nappa leather? An E23 BMW 7 Series was the first car he fell madly in love with three decades ago, and this affection for Autobahn-conquering luxury sedans has persisted. Following studies in copywriting and journalism, along with stints in TV scriptwriting and marketing that had far too little to do with cars, Karl kept the fire burning by writing for automotive websites on the side, including a Florida-based auto repair shop and another for Porsche enthusiasts. It all came together when he joined CarBuzz in 2019. He has penned some of the latest news, reviews, and features ever since. Contact Karl @FuelAffection LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top