California Lemon Law News + Info

Ford Accused of Cheating Emissions Tests

A group of Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty truck owners filed a lawsuit against Ford in January 2018 alleging that Ford cheated on pollution tests for their Super Duty trucks’ diesel engines.

Close up of a tail pipe with visible exhaust gases leaking out in white smoke. Ford allegedly installed “defeat devices” on about 500,000 Super Duty vehicles from 2011 to 2017. The devices installed in the vehicles’ 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel engines allow the trucks to pass federal and state emissions tests. However, when the trucks sense that they are no longer in a test environment, the defeat devices shut off pollution controls, allowing the trucks to pollute up to 50 times the legal limit.

Ford denied the claims.

“All Ford vehicles, including those with diesel engines, comply with all U.S. [Environmental Protection Agency] and [California Air Resources Board] emissions regulations,” Ford spokesman Mike Levine said in a statement sent to the Detroit Free Press. “Ford vehicles do not have defeat devices. We will defend ourselves against these baseless claims.”

This is not the first example of a motor vehicle company taken to court over cheating diesel emissions tests. Volkswagen became notorious for its 2015 “Dieselgate” scandal, in which it hid the use of defeat devices in its small diesel cars with TDI engines. Company executives were ultimately convicted in court. Since then, Fiat Chrysler, General Motors and Mercedes faced similar accusations.

If you have any questions about your Ford F-250 or F-350 Super Duty truck or its Power Stroke diesel engine, call us at 877-217-7676 or fill out the consultation form at the bottom of this page.

Source: Detroit Free Press


Lemon Law Help by Knight Law Group is an automotive lemon law firm that exclusively practices in California. If you are a California resident who purchased or leased a defective vehicle from a licensed dealership in California, we may be able to help you get rid of your potential lemon and recover significant cash compensation. Model year restrictions apply: 2019–Present vehicle models only.

However, we cannot help those who reside outside of California or purchased their vehicle outside of California unless they are active duty members of the Armed Forces, nor will we be able to refer those to a lemon law firm in their states.

To learn more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights, visit our guide on the California Lemon Law for more information.

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