Ford, Bosch face class action over F-250, F-350 Super Duty diesel emissions cheating allegations

The Ford Motor Co. and Robert Bosch GMbH are facing a class action lawsuit over allegations of emissions cheating on select Ford F-250 and F-350 diesel models. The lawsuit – filed in Michigan federal court – alleges that at least 500,000 Ford Super Duty diesel trucks were equipped by Ford and Bosch with a software defeat devices that was designed to conceal the high emissions levels of these vehicles.

According to the class action complaint, the emissions cheating software was installed by Ford and Bosch on Ford F-250 Super Duty and Ford F-350 Super Duty models with a 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel engine. The software was designed to disable the emissions control system when the vehicles were driven under normal conditions, causing them to emit pollution levels 50-times greater than what is allowed under federal law.

The lawsuit alleges that Ford has equipped its diesel trucks with the emissions software since at least 2011. During this period, Ford marketed its Super Duty diesel trucks as helping to reduce nitrous oxide emissions by up to 80%.

However, tests performed on the affected vehicles painted a far different picture regarding their pollution levels. Emissions tests performed on the affected truck models found that they release average emissions that are 2.4-times the federal maximum. When the trucks are being driven uphill, they can release emissions that are up to 50-times the federal limit.

By equipping the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty trucks with the defeat device, the lawsuit alleges that Ford and Bosch violated the U.S. Clean Air Act. The lawsuit also accuses Ford and Bosch of violating consumer protection and false advertising law in nearly all 50 states, as well as violations of federal racketeering laws. The lawsuit is seeking class action status of these federal RICO violations on behalf of drivers who purchased or leased one of the affected vehicles.

According to the lawsuit, consumers who purchased or leased one of the affected Ford truck models paid about $8,400 more for these vehicles than they would have for their gas-powered alternatives. The lawsuit argues that consumers would not have paid more for the advertised performance and fuel-efficiency of the affected Super Duty trucks if they had known about Ford and Bosch’s alleged emissions cheating.

Emissions Cheating Lawsuits Against Other Automakers

The class action lawsuit against Ford and Bosch is at least the sixth emissions cheating lawsuit filed in the U.S. against a major automaker in recent years. In 2015, a class action lawsuit against Volkswagen accused the company of installing emissions defeat device on millions of VW, Audi, and Porsche models during the Dieselgate scandal. Volkswagen later agreed to pay more than $14 billion to settle these allegations.

Since the Dieselgate settlement, lawsuits have also been filed against Audi, Mercedes Benz, Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors over allegations of emissions cheating. In addition to manufacturing the defeat devices that were allegedly installed on Ford’s Super Duty diesel trucks, Bosch has also been accused of designing and manufacturing the defeat devices involved in the lawsuits against GM, Chrysler, and VW.

Emissions Cheating Lawsuits Filed by HO&P

Consumers who purchased or leased a vehicle affected by emissions cheating by General Motors, Volkswagen, Audi, or Chrysler may be eligible to file a lawsuit over the lost value of their vehicle. The first step in taking legal action is to speak with an attorney who has the experience in emissions cheating litigation to advise you of your legal rights and walk you through the first steps of filing a case.

For more information about the emissions cheating lawsuits filed by Heygood, Orr & Pearson and to find out whether you may qualify to file a case, contact our attorneys by calling toll-free at 1-877-446-9001. You can also reach us by following the link to our free case evaluation form and answering a few brief questions about your vehicle to get started.

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Case results depend upon a variety of factors unique to each case. Results of other cases do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any future case.