Latest news with #TransitTrail
Motor 1
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
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: via The Drive Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
The Drive
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Wrong Tires Ruined Ford Transit Trail's Promised Off-Road Chops, Now There's a Lawsuit
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Last year, Ford recalled its short-lived off-roady Transit Trail van, replacing its original aggressive all-terrain tires with smaller ones because the knobby tires rubbed the body. Now, according to Car Complaints , Transit Trail owners have filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware—Provo, et al., v. Ford Motor Company—and allege that Ford not only knew about its oversized tire issue before the van went on sale, but that its recall fix ruins its off-road ability. When asked about this lawsuit, a Ford spokesperson only said, 'Ford does not typically comment on pending litigation matters.' Adding taller tires with deeper blocks is the easiest and most logical first step to increasing any vehicle's off-road capabilities. However, you can't usually upsize a tire very much without also raising the suspension, which is why lift kits exist. In 2022, Ford brought its European off-road Transit van to North America for the 2023 model year, but a problem quickly arose. Its tires were too big. The whole point of the rugged Ford Transit Trail was to give it that YouTuber #vanlife capability right out of the box, with beefy 30.5-inch all-terrain tires and all-wheel drive. However, those tires apparently weren't completely compatible with the vehicle's ride height and would rub during cornering and braking situations, especially with extra weight in the van. A little rub might be acceptable to some people running a home-brewed setup with aftermarket parts, but the whole appeal of an OEM off-road model is to skip substandard functionality shenanigans like that. And surely people bought the van specifically to outfit it for an outdoor living style, so extra weight was kind of the name of the game. Ford As for the official context: 'Due to insufficient packaging allowance, the front tires may contact the front wheel arch liner and body flange under certain vehicle loading, steering angle, and braking conditions,' said the March 2024 NHTSA recall report. 'Repeated contact of a front tire with the wheel arch liner and body flange may lead to rapid air loss and tread-belt separation, which can result in a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.' Then, in March 2025, Ford sent a letter to Transit Trail owners about the recall repair. 'Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to inspect the weld flange and repair if needed, replace all valve stems and all 4 tires with Goodyear 235/65R16C tires, replace both front wheel arch liners, update the vehicle software, and replace the Safety Certification and TREAD Act labels free of charge (parts and labor).' So the tires went from 30.5-inch Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse tires to 28-inchers. However, that tire switch dramatically hampered its off-road capability, reducing ground clearance by more than an inch and worsening its off-road angles. Instead of smaller tires, the plaintiffs reportedly want Ford to issue a 'prompt, complete, and effective recall or free replacement/repair program.' Ford However, also in March 2025, Ford discontinued the Transit Trail from the lineup altogether, citing supply chain issues. A Ford representative told Ford Authority that 'On-going challenges in the supply chain and part availability constraints impacted 2023 and 2024 Transit vans equipped with the Trail package, so we made the decision to remove package availability from the [2025 model year] Transit program while we prioritize delivering parts and service to customers with impacted vehicles.' However, they did say that Ford would reassess its future sales viability. It seems odd that Ford can't create a different fix for the Transit Trail that keeps its larger all-terrain tires without damaging anything. Perhaps different springs, shocks, or both could fix the problem, but that might be too costly for a vehicle that isn't on sale anymore. However, if Ford can develop a proper fix, maybe the Transit Trail goes back on sale without any dangerous tire rubbing, and existing customers can have the exact vehicle they paid for. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@ Nico DeMattia is a staff writer at The Drive. He started writing about cars on his own blog to express his opinions when no one else would publish them back in 2015, and eventually turned it into a full-time career.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ford Quietly Kills The Transit Trail Over Supply Issues
Ford quietly discontinued one of its off-road vehicles but don't worry, it's not the Bronco or any of the Raptormodels. It's the Ford Transit Trail which you may have forgot existed unless you're an influencer living that #VanLife. Ford introduced the Transit Trail in late 2022 during the tail end of the vanlife boom. It was an off-road ready van with chunky 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse tires, 3.5 more inches of ground clearance and upgraded underbody protection. Inside was a blank slate, but came with lots of spot for building in power and amenities needed to make the Transit a home. It seem the $65,000 Transit Trail died a quiet death, according to Ford Authority, after the model fell off the Big Blue Oval's website without fanfare. What could lead Ford to get rid of a model that's barely been on sale three model years? It would seem that supply chain issues are an ongoing problem as Ford Pro communications manager Elsiabeth Kraft confirmed to us. On-going challenges in the supply chain and part availability constraints impacted 2023 and 2024 Transit vans equipped with the Trail package, so we made the decision to remove package availability from the 25MY Transit program while we prioritize delivering parts and service to customers with impacted vehicles. It's worth noting that the Transit Trail may not be gone for long. Kraft said that Ford is continuing to look at demand for the Transit Trail to assess ' demand to determine future viability.' Just how is demand though? It would seem the market for pricey lifestyle isn't as big as it once was. We asked Ford if they knew how many Transit Trails have been sold since its introduction. While Ford confirmed that exact sales numbers on the Transit Trail aren't known since it's more a package than a model line, Ford did confirm that it saw a decrease in demand across all segments of the motorhome industry following the Pandemic. The Transit Trail was not without problems during its brief existence. Ford Authority mentions that in March 2024, a recall was issued after it was discovered that the factory fitted 30.5-inch, 245/75R16 could come in contact with the front wheel arch liner and damage the tires. So Ford fitted affected vans with 28-inch, 235/65R16 tires, knocking 1.2 inches of ground clearance from the Trail. Another recall was issued a few months later over a possible loss in power steering. Even with these issues the Transit Trail was unique. Unless you go aftermarket or spend big money for a Mercedes Sprinter, no one else sells anything like it. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
