— Ford has agreed to settle a consolidated class-action lawsuit over spark plugs that can break when they are being changed. Six different Ford spark plug lawsuits were consolidated to represent Ford owners across the U.S.
Owners complain about spark plugs that can be impossible to remove after the plugs break and get stuck in the engine. Additionally, owners who had to take their vehicles to dealers to have the spark plugs changed report paying as much as $1,200 for the work.
The plaintiffs argue the spark plugs are prone to a residue that can cause the plugs to stick in the cylinder head and be nearly impossible to remove without breaking the plugs. The expense gets larger due to the time it takes to remove the stuck spark plugs.
The Ford spark plug lawsuit includes customers who leased or purchased 2004-2008 Ford vehicles equipped with 5.4 liter 3-valve engines.
CarComplaints.com has listened to many Ford owners complain about the same spark plug problems, especially in the Ford F-150.
"Who builds the best selling truck in America that costs over $1200, yes one thousand two hundred dollars, to have 8 spark plugs replaced? FORD-F150 Yes that's correct." - 2005 Ford F-150 owner / Temperance, Michigan
"Why would Ford create such a monster? They really need to step up and recall this issue. it is costing anywhere from $200 to $3000 to put new spark plugs in. That is insane! Our truck is currently sitting in the garage with a broken plug in it awaiting some miracle tool that we had to order to retrieve the broken part and to try and get the rest out." - 2005 Ford F-150 owner / North Branch, Minnessota
-- Read more 2005 Ford F-150 spark plug complaints.
Ford has agreed to reimburse a percentage of the repair costs to owners who paid over $37.50 to replace the spark plugs. The total settlement for consumers is $2.2 million, with the attorneys receiving $5.2 million.
The consolidated Ford spark plug lawsuit is called the Ford Motor Co. Spark Plug and 3-Valve Engine Products Liability Litigation.