Ford Tailgate Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Defective Design

Ford is an iconic brand in the United States, and despite the company’s ups and downs, many see it as a source of pride or even a symbol of American industry.

However, the company has recently found itself on the tail end of a Ford tailgate class action lawsuit related to quality concerns.

The Ford lawsuit was filed by Ford owners who had purchased Ford Explorers, Mercury Mountaineers, and Lincoln Aviators between 2002 and 2005. The Ford tailgate lawsuit holds that the vehicles were defective in such a way that led Ford tailgates in these vehicles to crack open. The class action lawsuit alleges that the defect was built into these cars, and while many of the damaged vehicles were off-warranty, the defect was inherent to Ford tailgates.

The Ford tailgate lawsuit alleges that in 2002, Ford redesigned the tailgate for several vehicles. More than 1.5 million Ford vehicles were sold with this Ford tailgate. The class action lawsuit holds that the design in question was defective, and caused tailgate cracking, rear windows to fall out, and other problems.

The Ford tailgate lawsuit also holds that Ford received thousands of complaints, but has failed to recall or repair the defective tailgates. To back this up, the Ford class action lawsuit cites 337 separate complaints regarding tailgate cracks and related problems from the vehicles in question filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Some of these complaints state that the crack in the Ford tailgate allows the back window to fall out, creating a serious safety hazard.

The plaintiffs allege that Ford has acknowledged the defect without acting. The Ford tailgate lawsuit cites limited recalls for some of the vehicles that had this tailgate, as well as Technical Service Bulletins with instructions on how to repair Ford cracked tailgates. The Ford tailgate class action lawsuit also cites further Technical Service Bulletins that discussed the problem dating to 2005.

The class action lawsuit holds that the problems with Ford tailgates have made plaintiffs’ vehicles unsafe, decreased their value, and required costly repairs. The Ford lawsuit seeks to recoup the cost of these repairs and the decline in the vehicles’ value due to Ford cracked tailgates.

The Ford Tailgate Class Action Lawsuit is Jo Ann Gettman, et al., v. Ford Motor Company, Case No. 3133, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.

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