— Ford Edge rattling noise has caused a class action lawsuit that alleges the engine flexplate is defective which causes the Edge to suddenly stall and come to an unexpected stop.
According to the lawsuit, the rattling noise occurs in 2015-2018 Ford Edge SUVs equipped with 2-liter EcoBoost engines in four vehicle trims: Special Edition, Special Edition Limited, Titanium and Sport.
According to the three plaintiffs who filed the class action, the flexplate is located between the engine and gearbox and is used “to store the energy that is generated by the engine until it is needed and to deliver it in a smooth and even way via [the gearbox], . . . in order to propel the vehicle along.”
The Edge flexplate captures the energy created by the engine and stores it by spinning at a speed usually smooth and even. The lawsuit says this energy is then transferred to the torque converter which transfers the energy to the gearbox.
The plaintiffs claim the alleged 2015-2018 Ford Edge flexplate problem occurs when the area between the circular bolt patterns for the crankshaft and torque converter fails by cracking or shattering.
The Edge flexplate allegedly completely separates around the bolts which leaves a center portion of the ring gear attached to the crankshaft and the outer portion attached to the torque converter. Owners who experience the rattling noise say the original flexplates are defective and replacement flexplates crack and shatter like the originals.
One of the plaintiffs says he owns a 2015 Ford Edge which started making a rattling noise that came from the engine in February 2020. The noise was loudest during start-up and while the Edge idled, but also occured during normal driving conditions.
He took the SUV to a Ford dealer and told the technician about the rattling noise, but the Ford technician allegedly "failed to identify any issue, failed to disclose the Flexplate Defect, and no service was performed."
The plaintiff says he was driving five days later when the Edge stopping moving forward even though the engine was running. The plaintiff pulled onto the shoulder and shut the engine off, but it failed to restart and he had the SUV towed to the Ford dealership.
This time Ford said the Edge flexplate had shattered and damaged the Bendix drive, crankshaft seal and the starter, all which had to be replaced. The plaintiff also says he was charged $2,040 to repair the Edge, $150 for towing and $200 for a rental car.
According to the class action lawsuit, the owner sent a letter to Ford, but the automaker said the flexplate problem occurred outside the warranty coverage period and Ford would not cover the repair cost.
Seven months later the plaintiff allegedly heard a rattling noise and the Ford dealer found the flexplate had cracked. This time the Edge was allegedly at the dealer for five weeks while the flexplate was replaced again, with only 6,000 miles on the old flexplate.
However, the plaintiff says he wasn't charged for the second flexplate replacement, but he still had to wait five weeks to receive his Edge from the dealer.
The lawsuit goes on to claim the Ford Edge flexplate cracked again, the third time in less than a year. This time the dealer allegedly kept the SUV for six weeks but didn't charge anything to replace the flexplate.
The plaintiff says Ford should have told him about the allegedly defective Edge flexplates that cause rattling noise.
The class action references technical service bulletin SSM 47398 issued in July 2018 concerning a rattle noise caused by a cracked engine flexplate. Ford dealers were told to replace the flexplates in 2015-2018 Edge SUVs.
Another bulletin (TSB 19-2236) was issued to dealerships in August 2019 concerning rattling noise in Ford Edge SUVs equipped with 2.0L EcoBoost engines.
"Some 2015-2018 Edge vehicles equipped with a 2.0L EcoBoost engine may exhibit a rattle. This may be more noticeable at idle. This may be due to a flexplate crack around the crankshaft." — TSB 19-2236
Dealers were instructed to replace the Ford Edge flexplate, torque converter, flexplate bolts, transmission front pump and sometimes the engine short block.
The class action lawsuit alleges Ford should have recalled all the SUVs to properly repair the vehicles and extend warranty coverage for the flexplates. In addition, the lawsuit alleges other Ford vehicles are affected by flexplate defects.
The Ford Edge rattling noise lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan: Straub, et al., v. Ford Motor Company.
The plaintiffs are represented by Barbat Mansour Suciu & Tomina PLLC, Greg Coleman Law PC, and Whitfield Bryson LLP.
