— Ford and Lincoln owners who experienced spark plugs breaking when trying to change the plugs have claim benefit deadlines approaching after Ford agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit.
Without admitting guilt, Ford agreed to settle the lawsuit after owners said it cost a fortune to replace the spark plugs. Some owners paid more than $1,000 to have repair facilities use special tools to remove the broken spark plugs.
The class-action lawsuit alleges spark plugs get stuck inside the cylinder heads in Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with 5.4-liter 3-valve engines. Owners report that trying to remove the spark plugs often causes the plugs to break off, making it impossible to remove the plugs without the needed tools.
The consolidated class-action lawsuit settlement includes the following Ford and Lincoln vehicles sold or leased in the U.S., all equipped with 5.4-liter 3-valve engines:
- 2004-2008 Ford F-150
- 2005-2008 Ford F-250 and F-350
- 2005-2008 Ford Expedition
- 2005-2008 Lincoln Navigator
- 2006-2008 Lincoln Mark LT
The consolidated lawsuit, Ford Motor Co. Spark Plug and 3-Valve Engine Products Liability Litigation, was granted final settlement approval in January 2016, but affected owners of the Ford and Lincoln vehicles must file claims and submit the proper documentation to receive benefits.
Ford Spark Plugs Claim Benefit Deadlines
- If your Ford or Lincoln spark plugs were replaced before October 23, 2015, the deadline for submitting a claim is August 25, 2016.
- If your spark plugs were replaced on or after October 23, 2015, the deadline for submitting claims is February 27, 2017.
Ford Spark Plugs Lawsuit Eligibility Guidelines
Every eligible owner who spent more than $300 in parts and labor to replace eight spark plugs in a vehicle with less than 120,000 miles will be eligible for reimbursement on a percentage of the amount paid over $300. The amount of reimbursement will depend upon the cost incurred by the owner and by the documentation the owner can provide.
The documents an owner kept will be important to receive reimbursement. Those documents can consist of copies of receipts or other documentation that shows the following:
- The services performed.
- The identity of the repair facility that replaced the spark plugs.
- The date of service.
- The amount paid.
- The vehicle identification number (VIN).
- The mileage on the vehicle.
Owners whose first spark plug replacement occurred after 120,000 miles but prior to December 22, 2015, are also eligible for reimbursement if they provide the information listed above and do the following:
- Identify the Ford dealership that instructed them to wait to have the spark plugs in the vehicle replaced and the approximate date on which this information was told to the owner.
- Provide dealership service records establishing the vehicle was taken to a Ford dealership between 90,000 and 120,000 miles.
If an owner can't submit the proper documents to prove the work performed on the spark plugs, it's possible to still file a claim to receive reimbursement up to $50. The choice whether to pay undocumented claims will be left to the claims administrator.
It should be noted that Ford and Lincoln owners with vehicles that have more than 120,000 miles and who have not yet had the spark plugs replaced are not eligible for reimbursement.
Owners who file a claim and accept Ford's offer will be releasing Ford and its suppliers from all claims contained in the lawsuit. This simply means accepting the settlement benefits prevents an owner from suing Ford over the spark plug problems.
Read owner-reported complaints about the Ford and Lincoln vehicles named in the spark plug lawsuit.
