Ford's Transit Recall Ruined Off-Road Performance. Now, Owners Are Suing
Ford
is facing a class action lawsuit that alleges the
Transit Trail
no longer lives up to what the automaker promised. The rugged van faced a recall in early 2024 stemming from its 30.5-inch Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse tires, which could rub against the wheel liner in certain situations. Ford's solution? Swap out the tires for smaller 28.5-inch rubber.
The lawsuit alleges that this fix lowered the vehicle's ground clearance, defeating the purpose of purchasing the trim and leaving the vehicle "closer to the less expensive Ford Transit base model than the Transit Trail." The recall "removes the primary benefit of the Transit "Trail" models," according to the filing.
Ford introduced the Transit Trail in November 2022
, advertising the benefits of the Trail's 3.5-inch increase in ride height and 30.5-inch all-terrain tires. The 2023 Transit Trail had a $65,975 starting price, and one plaintiff claims she wouldn't have bought one if she had known about the safety defect, which the lawsuit alleges Ford intentionally concealed.
Ford issued the recall for the tire rubbing on the Transit in March 2024 after beginning to investigate the issue in late January 2024, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's
safety recall report
. Ford engineers discovered that the front tire shoulders could contact the wheel arch liners at "60 percent of full turn while braking when the vehicle is loaded at or near the vehicle's Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (FGWAR)."
Motor1
has reached out to Ford about the lawsuit, but companies often don't comment on pending litigation. We'll be sure to update this story if we hear back. In the meantime, you can
read the filing here
.
Read More Ford News:
Ford Issues Do Not Drive Order for Exactly Three Broncos
Ford Worker Stole Millions in Parts from Factory, Police Say
Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily.
back
Sign up
For more information, read our
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use
.
Source:
Classaction.org
via
The Drive
Share this Story
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Reddit
WhatsApp
E-Mail
Got a tip for us? Email:
tips@motor1.com
Join the conversation
(
)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Vance says Musk making a 'huge mistake' in going after Trump but also tries to downplay the attacks
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — Vice President JD Vance said Elon Musk was making a 'huge mistake' going after President Donald Trump in a storm of bitter and inflammatory social media posts after a falling out between the two men. But the vice president, in an interview released Friday after the very public blow up between the world's richest man and arguably the world's most powerful, also tried to downplay Musk's blistering attacks as an 'emotional guy' who got frustrated. 'I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe that's not possible now because he's gone so nuclear,' Vance said. Vance's comments come as other Republicans in recent days have urged the two men, who months ago were close allies spending significant time together, to mend fences. Musk's torrent of social media posts attacking Trump came as the president portrayed him as disgruntled and 'CRAZY' and threatened to cut the government contracts held by his businesses. Musk, who runs electric vehicle maker Tesla, internet company Starlink and rocket company SpaceX, lambasted Trump's centerpiece tax cuts and spending bill but also suggested Trump should be impeached and claimed without evidence that the government was concealing information about the president's association with infamous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 'Look, it happens to everybody,' Vance said in the interview. 'I've flown off the handle way worse than Elon Musk did in the last 24 hours.' Vance made the comments in an interview with ' manosphere' comedian Theo Von, who last month joked about snorting drugs off a mixed-race baby and the sexuality of men in the U.S. Navy when he opened for Trump at a military base in Qatar. The vice president told Von that as Musk for days was calling on social media for Congress to kill Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill,' the president was 'getting a little frustrated, feeling like some of the criticisms were unfair coming from Elon, but I think has been very restrained because the president doesn't think that he needs to be in a blood feud with Elon Musk.' 'I actually think if Elon chilled out a little bit, everything would be fine,' he added. Musk appeared by Saturday morning to have deleted his posts about Epstein. The interview was taped Thursday as Musk's posts were unfurling on X, the social media network the billionaire owns. During the interview, Von showed the vice president Musk's claim that Trump's administration hasn't released all the records related to sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein because Trump is mentioned in them. Vance responded to that, saying, 'Absolutely not. Donald Trump didn't do anything wrong with Jeffrey Epstein.' 'This stuff is just not helpful,' Vance said in response to another post shared by Musk calling for Trump to be impeached and replaced with Vance. 'It's totally insane. The president is doing a good job.' Vance called Musk an 'incredible entrepreneur,' and said that Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, which sought to cut government spending and laid off or pushed out thousands of workers, was 'really good.' The vice president also defended the bill that has drawn Musk's ire, and said its central goal was not to cut spending but to extend the 2017 tax cuts approved in Trump's first term. The bill would slash spending but also leave some 10.9 million more people without health insurance and spike deficits by $2.4 trillion over the decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Musk has warned that the bill will increase the federal deficit and called it a 'disgusting abomination.' 'It's a good bill,' Vance said. 'It's not a perfect bill.' He also said it was ridiculous for some House Republicans who voted for the bill but later found parts objectional to claim they hadn't had time to read it. Vance said the text had been available for weeks and said, 'the idea that people haven't had an opportunity to actually read it is ridiculous.' Elsewhere in the interview, Vance laughed as Von cracked jokes about famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass' sexuality. 'We're gonna talk to the Smithsonian about putting up an exhibit on that,' Vance joked. 'And Theo Von, you can be the narrator for this new understanding of the history of Frederick Douglass.' The podcaster also asked the vice president if he 'got high' on election night to celebrate Trump's victory. Vance laughed and joked that he wouldn't admit it if he did. 'I did not get high,' he then said. 'I did have a fair amount to drink that night.' The interview was taped in Nashville at a restaurant owned by musician Kid Rock, a Trump ally.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Evolution of the Chevy Corvette: America's Sports Car Turns Supercar
Read the full story on Modern Car Collector In a new feature video from Modern Car Collector (MCC), viewers are invited to take a thrilling ride through time in "The Evolution of the Chevrolet Corvette: From Classic to Supercar", a visual chronicle of how America's beloved sports car became a global performance powerhouse. The Corvette's story began in 1953 as a sleek concept car revealed at the GM Motorama in New York. With just 300 hand-built units, the original C1 set the tone for a bold new chapter in American automotive history. But it was visionaries like Harley Earl, GM's legendary design chief, and Zora Arkus-Duntov, often called the "Father of the Corvette," who pushed the car beyond its show-car roots and into true performance territory. The MCC video walks viewers through all eight generations of Corvette evolution—from the split-window C2 Sting Ray and the brute-force C3 big blocks, to the high-tech innovations of the C4 and the return to racing form with the C5 Z06. As each generation progressed, so too did Corvette's capabilities, culminating in today's C8 platform, the first production Corvette with a mid-engine layout. Highlights include the C8 ZR1, a supercharged beast expected to push 850 horsepower, and the Corvette E-Ray, which fuses electrification with all-wheel drive for the first time in the model's history. This engaging MCC production doesn't just focus on horsepower—it celebrates the cultural significance of the Corvette, its place in racing lore, and its unmatched ability to adapt and evolve without losing its American soul. Whether you're a lifelong Corvette enthusiast or a newcomer to the legend, "The Evolution of the Chevrolet Corvette: From Classic to Supercar" is a must-watch journey through 70 years of performance, innovation, and iconic design. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Solo vehicle rollover crash injures five people, including three children, CHP says
Three children were seriously injured in a solo vehicle crash in Merced County. The California Highway Patrol said the overturned Toyota Corolla happened at 8:30 p.m. on eastbound Highway 152, near I-5. Officers determined the vehicle was traveling eastbound 152, attempting to take the northbound I-5 connector ramp, but for unknown reasons was unable to negotiate the curve in the ramp and overturned into a dirt embankment, Sgt. Adrian Lopez said. Passers-by tried to help before officers and EMS arrived. The three children — ages 5 to 10 — were not wearing a seat belt and two were possibly ejected, Lopez said. The driver had major injuries and the passenger had moderate injuries, Lopez said. The three children were airlifted to Valley Children's Hospital in Madera. Their conditions are unknown. Alcohol and drugs are not a factor, Lopez said.
