— A Ford 12-volt battery class action lawsuit has been filed nearly a month after Ford recalled the batteries to replace them.
Ford announced the 12V battery recall in January to replace nearly 273,000 batteries manufactured by Camel.
The 12V battery recall includes 2021-2023 Ford Bronco Sports and 2022-2023 Ford Mavericks.
The Ford class action lawsuit includes:
"All persons in the United States who purchased a 2021-2023 Ford Bronco Sport or a 2022-2023 Ford Maverick equipped with a 12 volt battery having an internal weld and cast-on-strap that was manufactured by Camel Battery Group."
Ford 12V Battery Recall
According to Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 12V battery may suffer internal weld and/or cast-on strap failures, which could lead to a sudden battery degradation while driving.
"If the battery suddenly degrades during a drive it can lead to a vehicle that is unable to restart after an auto stop/start event or experience a stall while coming to a stop at low speed. Either of these conditions may be accompanied by a loss of 12-volt accessories, including hazard lights." — Ford
On some of the batteries, manufacturer Camel positioned the battery plate lugs too close to the cast-on strap walls. Ford also found the Camel batteries contain weak tombstone welds due to weld temperatures being too high or the weld position being offset relative to the target position.
Ford had previously recalled the vehicles, but the automaker learned the only fix was to replace the Camel 12-volt batteries. At the time of the recall, Ford had not received any crash or injury reports.
According to the Ford 12V battery recall, owner notification letters were expected to mailed February 3, 2025, and completed by February 7.
In addition to replacing the 12V battery with a BAGM-48H6-760 battery, Ford is offering reimbursements to vehicle owners for out-of-pocket expenses.
Ford 12V Battery Lawsuit — The Plaintiff
The class action lawsuit was filed by Wisconsin plaintiff Edward Benson who purchased a Ford Bronco Sport in 2024, but the lawsuit doesn't allege the model year.
The plaintiff complains the battery has failed numerous times causing him to replace the battery after approximately 34,000 miles of driving the Ford Bronco Sport.
The plaintiff contends the battery failures were so bad he had to disengage the “start/stop” feature of the vehicle for "fear that it would stall or stop and not restart while in traffic." He also "advises the need of having to purchase and carry a 'battery booster' for fear of the battery’s failure."
The plaintiff says the Ford battery recall provides a "free fix and repair clause," but he filed the class action lawsuit for more than $5 million because the recall will allegedly cost him "hours of his time."
Even though Ford is replacing the defective Camel battery and offering reimbursements, the plaintiff claims there is a "cognizable risk" within the recall and there is not a true fix for the battery problems.
"Unless Defendants are to issue a more comprehensive recall to truly fix the root cause of the Defect, it is foreseeable, and should be expected, that the Class Vehicles' battery systems will fail once again. Defendants’ Recall is no more than an ineffective waste of time as there is no true fix for the Defect." — Ford 12V battery lawsuit
According to the Ford 12V battery class action lawsuit, the battery recall " leaves more questions than answers" about the safety of the Mavericks and Bronco Sports. In addition, the Ford 12V battery recall allegedly decreases the vehicle values.
And even though Ford is replacing the batteries for free, the class action lawsuit alleges the 12V battery recall "amounts to tens of thousands of hours and dollars needlessly taken from Plaintiff and other Class Vehicle owners."
The Ford 12V battery recall lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania: Edward Benson v. Ford Motor Company, and Camel Group (USA) Battery, Inc.
The plaintiff is represented by Carpey Law, P.C., and Poulin | Willey | Anastopoulo, LLC.
