The plaintiffs in a Ford Fusion lawsuit against Ford have requested a $77 million lawsuit settling claims of faulty transmissions in some Ford vehicles, saying that class members all around the world have received over $47 billion through an online arbitration program. The Ford Motor Company is defending against these lawsuits, and they’re asking the judge to dismiss the complaint as improper, since arbitration is a non-judicial proceeding and does not have the same ‘tort’ or ‘wrongful’ nature as traditional lawsuits do. In a Class Action lawsuit, there is a right of either party to litigate, with only one party acting as the plaintiff. The Ford family, who have filed their suit, are not a party to the lawsuit.
These lawsuits have been issued by the National Automobile Dealers Association, or NADA, an industry trade group. The Ford Family is represented by a lawyer, John Rice. The complaint was filed by former Ford employees complaining about the company’s transmission concerns, which they say caused them to suffer while working for Ford. They have given statements to the press saying that they were subjected to long hours of overtime, and long meetings that discussed the Ford Fusion transmission concerns with managers, higher ups, and no other parties. When told that there was no chance of a buyback option, and forced to buy a new vehicle, these individuals feel let down and deserve compensation.
Currently, Ford is in the process of designing and building 20 new models of cars, with a total mass of over five hundred thousand units. One of the models, the Fusion, has had its transmission problems go through the manufacturer’s recall process, as well as several other car recalls and repairs. Many consumers have complained to the media about the company’s handling of these matters, and how they feel that they were let down by Ford management when it came to handling the situation with efficiency and professionalism. According to statements made by John Rice, a member of the Ford Fusion transmission class action lawsuit, “It felt like we had been dropped by Ford… We were treated like dirt… It was just not good enough.” He went on to say that he believes that the company is responsible for the deaths of at least two people due to defective Ford Transmissions. Furthermore, John Rice indicated that since the manufacturer did not make a profit from selling recalled vehicles, they should be financially penalized for the deaths of their customers.
At the time of this writing, the lawsuit has been settled, and the manufacturers have agreed to make necessary repairs to the vehicles. However, because the parties involved are only obligated to settle the matter, and it could still go to trial, many wonder how effective the class action lawsuit really is. After all, many people question the validity of these types of cases, and point out that the suits lack merit because they are based upon faulty manufacturing processes. Nevertheless, the class action lawsuit was able to force Ford to make some changes to their manufacturing processes in an effort to prevent problems and injuries from occurring. This, in turn, could benefit everyone, including the customers who purchased vehicles that were manufactured faulty.
The Ford Fusion was sold by Ford Motors to former owners and is considering a sub-compact car. Ford dealerships hold ownership rights to the cars, and sometimes the former owners feel entitled to compensation for the loss of use and value of their cars. Class action lawsuits allow the Ford Fusion Transmission Class Action lawsuit to force the automaker to actually address the warranty issues and repair requirements that led to the wrongful death of many Ford Fusion owners and drivers. By forcing Ford to address the warranty issues, the class action lawsuit is providing actual cash to Ford dealerships which are experiencing financial hardships due to the recall of the Ford Fusion. Some Ford dealerships lost over $7 Billion dollars due to the recall of the Ford Fusion.
If approved by the court, the Ford Fusion will be able to claim class action status for its entire life, as well as additional monetary damages. Many millions of dollars will be paid by the automaker to all class members and the former owners of the Ford Fusion as their individual claims. This could reach up to a thirty million dollar settlement, which would be split amongst all the named plaintiffs. This is the maximum amount possible for a Ford Fusion Class Action Lawsuit. It is expected that the class action lawsuit will further open the doors for other former Ford Fusion owners who have yet to receive fair compensation.
