— A Ford hybrid engine recall has caused a vehicle owner to file a class action lawsuit which alleges the recall repairs don't make the hybrid vehicles safe to drive.
Included in the hybrid engine lawsuit are 2020-2022 Ford Escape, 2022 Ford Maverick and 2021-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles equipped with 2.5-liter hybrid engines.
The recall was announced following 23 worldwide reports of underhood hybrid engine smoke and fires.
"In the event of an engine failure, significant quantities of engine oil and/or fuel vapor may be released into the under hood environment and may migrate to and/or accumulate near ignition sources resulting in potential under hood fire, localized melting of components, or smoke." — Ford recall document
Ford says less than 1% of the hybrid vehicles may have suffered from engine manufacturing problems that could cause engine failures involving breaches of the oil pans or engine blocks.
If the engine fails, engine oil or fuel vapors could build up near or on hot exhaust surfaces and lead to underhood smoke, melting components and fires.
"Of the 23 reports, Ford’s CCRG has categorized the warranty and field reports as: nine describing under hood or vehicle fire, six reporting localized under hood melting, seven describing under hood smoke, and one that did not contain sufficient detail to characterize. Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition." — Ford
According to Ford, a driver will know if the engine is failing because metal-to-metal clanking noise will be heard and the vehicle will lose power.
For hybrid vehicle repairs, Ford says the under engine shield will have additional drain holes and the active grille shutter will be modified to redirect or purge the hybrid engine compartment of oil and fuel vapors. This will allegedly reduce the odds of an engine fire, but the class action alleges the repairs don't work as intended.
The lawsuit also alleges Ford knew or should have known about the hybrid engine fire risk before the vehicles were sold. And while a recall fix has been announced, the plaintiff claims the repairs don't work.
California plaintiff Anthony Pacheco purchased a Ford Maverick in April 2022, or what the plaintiff calls his "Fire Defect Vehicle." According to the plaintiff, his Maverick was repaired for free under the hybrid recall, but he claims Ford's engineers are wrong and the "fix" won't do anything to remedy the issue.
The Ford hybrid engine lawsuit asserts Ford should offer every owner a buyback of their vehicle based on the Blue Book value on the day before the recall was announced. Or at the least, Ford should offer a comparable loaner vehicle.
The Ford hybrid engine class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan: Anthony Pacheco v. Ford Motor Company.
The plaintiff is represented by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, and The Miller Law Firm PC.
