Have a Defective Ford?
The California Lemon Law Can Help!
The California Lemon Law Can Help!
Once marketed as “built Ford tough,” Ford vehicles have experienced a sharp decline in quality over the years. Issues with Ford vehicle design and engineering have resulted in piling class action lawsuits and recalls. Ultimately, Ford vehicle owners and lessees face the brunt of poor quality control; defects in steering, transmissions and other vehicle components are turning these Ford vehicles into lemons.
If your Ford is a lemon, then you may be legally entitled to a replacement vehicle or a refund under the California Lemon Law.
Is My Ford A Lemon?
The California Lemon Law is intended to protect owners and lessees of Ford vehicles that were purchased new or used with an active warranty from the auto manufacturer. If a problem that affects your Ford’s use, safety or value appears during the warranty period, and a Ford dealership or repair shop cannot seem to fix the problem, then your Ford is likely to be a lemon. However, the Ford dealership or repair shop must be given a “reasonable” number of chances to fix the vehicle. If the dealership or repair shop is unable to do so, then your Ford may be considered defective.
Ford Transmission Issues
We have received reports of recurring transmission problems in Ford F-150, Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, Ford Mustang, Ford Ranger, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicle models. Transmission problems with these Ford vehicles may include:
- ◦ Wrench Light is on
- ◦ Clunking or banging noise when starting engine
- ◦ Jerking or lunging
- ◦ Slipping or bucking
- ◦ Rough, harsh or erratic shifting
- ◦ Hesitation between gears
- ◦ Gear getting stuck
- ◦ Delayed downshifting
- ◦ Sudden or delayed acceleration
- ◦ Transmission failure
In particular, we’ve noticed that Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmissions and in Ford’s PowerShift transmissions are making many Ford vehicles unreliable or unsafe. Multiple class action lawsuits allege that 2017 and newer Ford F-150 trucks experience whiplash, harsh and erratic shifting, and other “life threatening” transmission problems.
The PowerShift transmissions, which engineers referred to as a “mechanical catastrophe,” prompted class action lawsuits and investigations into 2012–2016 Focus and 2011–2016 Fiesta. Despite this, Ford continued to equip 2017-2018 Ford Focus and 2017-2019 Ford Fiesta cars with these faulty PowerShift transmissions.
If your Ford is experiencing recurring transmission issues that the auto manufacturer or repair shop cannot resolve within a reasonable number of attempts, then your Ford may be a lemon.
Ford Death Wobble
Knight Law Group has received reports of the Ford pickup trucks shaking violently while driving. The Ford “Death Wobble” is a violent shaking defect that occurs when Ford F-250 and F-350 trucks are driven at speeds more than 50 miles per hour and one of the tires hits a groove or bump in the road.
Knight Law Group has received numerous reports of Ford F-Series pickup trucks experiencing a defect known as the “Death Wobble.” A defect in the suspension or steering linkage systems causes Ford F-250 and Ford F-350 trucks to experience violent shaking when they travel at speeds over 50 miles per hour and one of the tires hits a groove or bump in the road.
According to a Ford class action lawsuit, the “Death Wobble” is caused by a defect in the suspension or steering linkage systems. Specifically, the violent shaking is caused abnormal wearing in components such as the “pitman arm” (track bar bushing), damper bracket, ball joints, control arms, shock absorbers or struts. The resulting Death Wobble causes drivers to lose steering control, and the shaking is stopped only by a stark and sudden reduction in vehicle speed.
Ford Engine Problems
Though Ford F-150 trucks receive the most engine complaints out of Ford’s lineup, many other Ford vehicle models may also experience:
- ◦ “Check Engine Light” flashes on
- ◦ Fuel injector failure
- ◦ Entering “Limp mode”
- ◦ Engine rattling noises
- ◦ Shaking and shuddering
- ◦ Coolant, oil or other fluid leaks
- ◦ Engine stalling or failure
When recurring vehicle issues result in class action lawsuits filed against Ford, these lawsuits automatically include many owners and lessees of Ford vehicles. If you don’t opt out of these class action lawsuits before their opt-out deadlines, you may lose your individual right to file a Ford lemon law claim.
We can help you opt out of one or more class action lawsuits and file an individual claim for your faulty Ford vehicle.
Talk To Our Ford Lemon Law Attorneys
If you find that your Ford has seemingly unfixable problems, you have four years from when the defect first appeared before you lose your chance to file a California lemon law claim. However, certain situations can make that deadline even stricter. If you take advantage of our free lemon law consultations, you will be taking an important first step to preserving your consumer rights.
If you file a lemon law claim and win, you may be able to receive a vehicle replacement or a lemon law buyback. On top of that, the auto manufacturer would have to pay for your attorneys’ fees and costs. Most cases at Knight Law Group result in lemon owners receiving a lemon law buyback, plus additional cash compensation.
If you receive a lemon law buyback, that means you receive a full refund of total amounts paid or payable to your vehicle, minus an offset that is based off the mileage at the time the defect first arose. That means the sooner the defect appeared in your vehicle, the more the auto manufacturer would likely owe you for your lemon.
Learn more about the California Lemon Law
If you suspect that your Ford is a lemon, email us or call us at 877-222-2222 for a free consultation. Alternatively, you may fill out the form below to request an initial review of your problems with your Ford.