— A Ford F-150 Coyote engine class action lawsuit is moving forward in court after a federal judge dismissed several claims while allowing others to continue.
The class action alleges 2018-2020 Ford F-150 trucks suffer oil consumption problems because the cylinder coatings and piston ring assemblies are defective.
This purportedly allows engine oil to seep into the combustion chamber, something Ford supposedly knew about before the trucks were first sold.
The lawsuit says the 5-liter Coyote engine has an oil capacity of 8.8 quarts and is equipped with an Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor that determines when the oil should be changed based on how the truck is used.
The class action also says since 2012, Ford has required its vehicles to achieve an oil consumption level that meets or exceeds 10,000 miles per quart. The 10,000 threshold is “[t]he minimum criterion for oil consumption for average retail customers based on laboratory/customer correlation.”
Ford refers to this as the “Trustmark” standard.
In its motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Ford argues the 10,000-mile oil standard is an internal standard and not based on real-world driving. Ford says it expects a “[n]ormal variability range from 10,000 miles per quart” and “Ford does not quantify expected oil consumption in the Owner’s Manual or other customer information.”
Ford admits the F-150 had oil consumption problems, but in 2019 the cause was found: the "fuel-saving deceleration fuel shutoff which can lead to an excessive amount of oil being sucked past the piston’s ring and into the combustion chamber, where it is burned."
Technical service bulletin (TSB) 19-2365 was issued which allegedly “reduce[d] engine vacuum during some DFSO events,” supposedly followed by a large decrease in oil consumption-related warranty repairs after the TSB’s release.
Judge Gershwin A. Drain dismissed several claims against Ford, including the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act claim, express warranty claims, an implied warranty claim, and negligent misrepresentation claims.
But the judge says there is evidence Ford knew of excessive oil consumption issues before the plaintiffs purchased their F-150 trucks.
"Based on this evidence, construed in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs, a reasonable jury could find that Ford knew about the oil consumption defect prior to any of the Named Plaintiffs purchasing or leasing their vehicles." — Judge Drain
The Ford F-150 Coyote 5.0 engine lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan: Lyman, et al., v. Ford Motor Company.
The plaintiffs are represented by the Miller Law Firm, P.C., Sauder Schelkopf, Handley Farah & Anderson PLLC, and Baron & Herskowitz.