— A Ford water pump class action has been dismissed as a settlement was reached between Ford and the plaintiffs who sued.
The lawsuit alleges 2007-present vehicles are defective if they are equipped with Duratec engines. It's those engines, also known as Cyclone engines, which allegedly fail because the water pumps leak coolant.
From there the leaked coolant enters the oil pan and mixes with engine oil.
The Ford water pump class action lawsuit alleges the Cyclone engine has an internal chain-driven water pump connected with the timing chain that provides the power to the pump.
The class action alleges the oil/coolant mixture travels through the Duratec engine and causes engine failure.
Arkansas plaintiff Bobby Roe purchased a 2011 Ford Edge in April 2018, but three months later the water pump and engine failed when the vehicle had 95,000 miles on it. Roe says he had to pay $1,200 for a replacement used engine.
Washington plaintiff Donald M. Christenson purchased a 2011 Ford Edge and the water pump and engine failed when the SUV had about 63,500 miles on the odometer.
The plaintiff asserts he paid $7,600 to buy a new engine.
Replacing the Ford water pump is one thing and may cost about $200 for the pump. But the class action lawsuit alleges a Ford owner may pay $1,500 in labor to replace the internal water pump buried deep within the engine.
The plaintiffs also contend a failed Duratec engine can cost up to $8,500 to replace.
Ford Water Pump Class Action Lawsuit Dismissed
The Duratec engine water pump had already been dismissed in 2020 when the judge found there was no adequate evidence to show “Ford knew or should have known that water pumps in Cyclone [Duratec] engines were defective.”
However, the judge was asked by the plaintiffs to reconsider their arguments and claims.
Following nearly six years in court, Ford reached a confidential settlement of all claims by plaintiffs Donald M. Christenson, Darryl Mori, Joseph Albanesi, William Schuette, Christopher Stack, Ferris Mogy and Jay Doskis.
According to Judge Laurie J. Michelson, the Ford water pump class action lawsuit is "dismissed with prejudice with each party bearing that party’s own attorney’s fees and costs."
The Ford water pump lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division: Roe, et al., v. Ford Motor Company.
The plaintiffs are represented by the Miller Law Firm, P.C., Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP, Keil & Goodson, P.A., and the Edwards Firm, PLLC.
