Ford Hit with Class Action Suit Over Alleged Lincoln Corsair Flat Tow Problems

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Ford Motor Company has been hit with a proposed class action lawsuit in the wake of a corrective service campaign pertaining to the capability of 2021-2025 Lincoln Corsair models to be flat towed, a popular method for long-distance travelers to tow a car behind a recreational vehicle. 

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The 21-page lawsuit states that flat towing relies on a hinged tow bar to create a “mechanical bridge” between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle, with a set-up process that, when configured properly, is “remarkably swift,” taking only minutes to engage or release. Per the suit, flat towing is the “gold standard” for long-distance travelers because it allows a towed vehicle to track naturally and effortlessly with all four wheels on the ground behind an RV, mirroring its path through turns without the weight or storage concerns of towing extra hardware. 

According to the complaint, Lincoln Corsair owners and lessees were issued a corrective service notice around February 2025 informing them that although the digital owner’s manual for their vehicles stated that the cars had flat-tow capability, the powertrain may be damaged should the flat-tow process be initiated. The suit says that the voluntary remedy suggested by Ford is a software update that eliminates the flat-towing capability altogether for the Lincoln Corsair models at issue. 

The case stresses that flat towing capability is a “rare and highly desirable feature” that requires specific internal hardware and software features. Per the suit, the Lincoln Corsair’s advertised ability to legally and safely accommodate flat towing materially impacted proposed class members’ decisions to lease or purchase their vehicles. 

The Corsair lawsuit says that Ford has to date failed to provide a repair that restores flat towing capability to the vehicles at issue.

“As a result, Plaintiff and the Class Members are forced to choose between participating in the Campaign and losing a core, advertised feature or declining to participate in the Campaign and possibly incurring significant damage to the vehicle if flat towed,” the lawsuit summarizes. 

Per the case, flat towing capability confers “significant functional value” as it affords consumers a way to transport a secondary vehicle without the cost and operational limits of a trailer. The feature is “relatively scarce,” and thus attractive to consumers, given that only a few vehicles on the market are engineered and manufacturer-approved for flat towing, the suit adds.

Further, the complaint emphasizes that flat towing is not universally compatible with most modern vehicles, as it requires a specially designed drivetrain, transmission, and steering system to permit safe operation with all four wheels on the ground while the towed car’s engine is off.

The class action lawsuit states that proposed class members paid a price for their Lincoln Corsair vehicles that reflected the inclusion of flat-tow capability. The apparent defect deprived drivers of a feature they paid for and rendered their vehicles less valuable than represented at the time of sale or lease, the filing says. 

“As a result of the Defect and Campaign, the customer is forced either to disregard the manufacturer’s own safety concerns or to continue operating the vehicle in a condition identified as potentially defective,” the lawsuit reads. “Both options will cause owners to reasonably incur additional out-of-pocket costs to pursue alternative towing methods such as a dolly or trailer.”

The suit says that specialized flat-tow setups, including installation and equipment, can cost anywhere from $1,500 to over $4,000, and that those expenditures become “economically wasted” or substantially devalued should flat towing no longer be an option for a vehicle. 

The Lincoln Corsair lawsuit looks to cover all individuals or entities who bought or leased a 2021-2025 Lincoln Corsair in California, or who were citizens of California but bought or leased a 2021-2025 Corsair outside of the state, that was advertised as “flat towable,” or capable of four-wheel-down towing.

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