Ford class action alleges vehicles contain defective water pumps

Ford water pumps class action overview:

• Who: A Ford driver is suing the automaker.
• Why: The customer says certain Ford vehicles have an internal water pump issue that can cause catastrophic engine failure.
• Where: The Ford water pumps class action was filed in a New York federal court.

Ford hid the fact that some of its vehicles may suffer a sudden internal water pump failure that poses significant safety risks to drivers including sudden catastrophic engine failure, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Mark Militello filed the class action lawsuit against Ford Motor Company Oct. 5 in a New York federal court, alleging violations of state consumer laws. 

Militello alleges that, from 2007 through at least 2020, Ford has incorporated the Cyclone Engine—containing a faulty internal water pump—into thousands of vehicles.

He says the internal water pumps installed within the engines of the vehicles should last for the useful life of the engines without the need for any service, maintenance, or repair. 

However, despite knowing for more than a decade that its vehicles incorporating the “Duratec engine” contain a defect in design that can cause the internal water pump to prematurely fail well before the end of the useful life of the engine, Ford continued to sell them and not cover the issue under warranty, the lawsuit alleges.

The issue can lead to a “costly replacement or catastrophic engine failure due to the water pump’s placement inside the engine block,” Militello says.

“Not only does Ford represent that the water pump will not need to be serviced or maintained, but the internal location of the water pump in the engine conceals it from view and inspection when other routine service is being performed on the Class Vehicles.” 

Ford created unconscionable warranties, lawsuit alleges

Customers who have vehicles with the defect are not warned that due to the relatively inaccessible location of the pump in the engine, the cost to repair or replace the defective piece is significant, even in situations where the entire engine is not destroyed, the lawsuit says.

“Ford created its unconscionable warranties, including the durational limits, to transfer this cost of repair or replacement to Plaintiff and members of the New York Class, with the knowledge that the majority of Internal Water Pump failures would occur outside of the durational limits of the warranties,” Militello says.

He’s suing on behalf of anyone in New York who purchased one of the affected vehicles from an authorized Ford dealer. Militello is suing under New York consumer protection statutes and for violations of New York General Business Law.

He’s seeking certification of the class action, damages, interest, fees, costs and a jury trial. 

In February, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice granted class action status to a lawsuit alleging certain Ford vehicles have defective water pumps that can cause engine failure. 

Do you have one of the affected Ford vehicles with an alleged water pump issue? Let us know in the comments!

The plaintiff is represented by Samuel H. Rudman, Robert M. Rothman, Francis P. Karam, Philip T. Merenda and Mark J. Dearman of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP.

The Ford defective water pumps class action lawsuit is Mark Militello v. Ford Motor Company, Case No. 6:22-cv-06425 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.

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