Lawsuits Claim Ford Rigged Truck Fuel Economy

A trio of lawsuits claim Ford Motor Co. overstated the fuel economy of its 2018-2019 model Ranger and F-150 pickup trucks.

The three complaints, which were filed over the past three months in U.S. District Court in Detroit by the same law firm, seek class-action status and $1.2 billion in damages.

The lawsuits assert that the fuel economy ratings listed on the window sticker of the trucks exceed the results of a “properly conducted applicable federal mileage test.”

The F-150 complaint says Ford used inaccurate drag and resistance figures that inflated the federal fuel economy ratings. Fuel economy estimates are overstated by 10% for city driving and 15% for highway travel, according to the filing. It estimates that the shortfall costs F-Series owners about $2,400 in extra fuel over the life of their trucks.

The lawsuits also claim that Ford equipped the trucks with an unspecified “cheat device” that continually misrepresents the actual fuel consumption of the vehicles.

The lawsuits follow an internal investigation begun by Ford last year and a separate probe launched in April by the U.S. Dept. of Justice. Both analyses are looking at the methods used by the carmaker to calculate road loads and coastdown performance. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses results to set official fuel efficiency ratings.