Multiple Ford XL and XLT vehicles have a dashboard that is prone to warping and separating from the vehicle, and despite full-knowledge of the issue Ford has done little to fix it, a new class action lawsuit alleges.
The class action lawsuit was filed in Delaware on May 12 by lead Plaintiffs Joey Mendoza, Julie Deakin, and Michael Zelaska. The group alleges that they were not told about dashboard defects in the 2015-2020 Ford F-150 XL and XLT vehicles when they purchased them, despite the company and dealer knowledge of the issues.
The drivers also said they had been given the run around by the company and were still waiting on a fix, the claim states.
According to the class action lawsuit, the original and replacement dashboards in the vehicles contain manufacturing defects that make them prone to warping and separation from the vehicle, particularly in the area surrounding the defroster vents.
“Despite a landslide of complaints regarding this Defect, Defendant refused to address the issue for years,” states the claim, which says that there had been complaints since 2015. The claim adds that Ford “omitted and/or concealed the existence of the Defect in the Original Dash to increase profits by selling additional Class Vehicles.”
Mendoza leased a new 2018 Ford F-150 XLT in May 2018, and says that the defect was never disclosed to him. By September 2018, he says that the dash was “warped and creaking or rattling as the result of multiple locations on the dashboard where there were gaps between material joints.”
Additionally, the top of the dashboard by the defroster vents began to bubble up and warp, and the issues still exist today, according to the class action lawsuit.
Despite multiple attempts to remedy the situation, Mendoza has been given the run around by Ford, which has said there was no fix to the issue and Mendoza must wait for parts that are on backorder, the claim states. He is currently in a queue for replacement, and there is no projected timeline to when the problem will be fixed, the class action lawsuit says.
“Plaintiff Mendoza has suffered an ascertainable loss as a result of Defendant’s omissions associated with the Defect, including, but not limited to, out of pocket loss associated with the Defect and diminished value of his vehicle.”
Illinois resident Julie Deakin had a similar experience when she purchased a new 2018 Ford F-150 XLT in June 2018.
By September 2018, she noticed that the dash was buckling at the defrost vent area and a large bump had formed near the passenger side air bag by the defrost vent. Like Mendoza, Deakin said that she was given the run around by Ford over parts, and is still waiting for her dash to be replaced.
Michael Zelaska, of Virginia, purchased a new 2018 Ford F-150 XLT in September 2018, and noticed issues with the dashboard in December, according to the claim. After months of hassling Ford and his dealer, Zelaska got a replacement dashboard in February 2020, but despite “the attention and effort focused on the replacement,” a short while after the installation the new dash began to warp, according to the class action lawsuit.
Ford has faced “a landslide of complaints” for the defective dash and has refused to address the issue for years – at least since 2015, the claim states.
In 2019, Ford released a Technical Service Bulletin (“TSB”) calling for replacement of the dashboard, however, according to the claim all of the new dashboards also possessed the defect.
“In other words, Ford has simply replaced one defective dash with another defective dash, failing to address the underlying issue causing the warping and separation, despite Ford’s awareness of and access to a proper remedy—installation of the dash used in the Ford F-150’s more expensive trim packages.”
Mendoza, Deakin, and Zelaska want to represent a nationwide Class of 2015-2020 Ford F-150 XL and XLT owners, and also California, Illinois, and Virginia subclasses. They are suing for violations of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and state business and consumer protection laws.
They are seeking certification of the Class, injunctive relief, interest, damages, legal fees, and a jury trial.
Do you own a Ford F-150 XL and XLT vehicle? Have you ever experienced any issues with your dashboard? Let us know in the comments section!
Mendoza, Deakin, and Zelaska are represented by Ian Connor Bifferato of The Bifferato Firm, William H. Anderson of Handley Farah & Anderson PLLC, Rebecca P. Chang of Handley Farah & Anderson PLLC, Jon Herskowitz of BARON & HERSKOWITZ, and Matthew D. Schelkopf and Joseph B. Kenney of Sauder Schelkopf.
The Ford XL and XLT Defective Dash Class Action Lawsuit is Mendoza, et al. v. Fords Motor Company, Case No. 1:21-cv-00688-UNA, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
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22 thoughts onFord Faces Class Action Lawsuit for Defective Dash in XL and XLT Trucks
I’m having the same problem with my dash bubbling and separating from the hard surface in my 2020 F350 Platinum truck. Dealership wants 15K to replace it.