Class Action: ’13-’18 Ford F-150 Trucks Suffer from Brake System Defect

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

Ford Motor Company is staring down a proposed class action out of Michigan that alleges the brake systems on certain vehicle models suffer from a defect that allows brake fluid to leak from the master cylinder, which can cause sudden brake failure.

The complaint mentions 2013-2018 model year Ford F-150 trucks as suffering from the alleged defect. According to the case, the master cylinder in these vehicles houses a defective sealing mechanism that is unable to prevent brake fluid from leaking into the brake booster during normal operation. Moreover, the alleged defect can first manifest itself at low mileages, the suit says, sometimes within Ford's 36,000-mile “Bumper to Bumper” warranty period.

Despite submitting a recall to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over the brake issue in May 2016, Ford, the lawsuit continues, only applied the recall to 2013 and 2014 model year F-150s with certain engine sizes—even though all 2013-2018 F-150s supposedly come equipped with “substantially identical” brake systems.

As far as repairs go, Ford “has simply replaced the defective master cylinder with a new one that suffers from the same defect” in vehicles whose brake systems failed within the warranty period, the complaint states. For those that fail outside of the warranty period, consumers are forced to pay out-of-pocket for replacement parts and labor, the suit claims.

The case rounds out by alleging Ford knew of the brake system defect yet “failed to disclose and actively concealed” the problem from proposed class members and the public.