Most lug nuts are one piece of hardened steel, but Ford chose a design that puts an aluminum cap over a steel core. The cap is notorious for swelling and delaminating when it gets hot. It’s also a great place to trap moisture and encourage corrosion. The end result? A lug nut that’s either too big for a standard wrench or fused so tight you need a drill, welding torch, and 7 Hail Marys to remove it.
Look who’s back in the news – Takata airbag inflators, the long-running nemesis of peace and joy, will need to be replaced in 953,000 Ford vehicles. Ford dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflators or modules, but the automaker didn't announce when the recall will begin.
Ford has reluctantly settled a class-action lawsuit for using defective Takata airbags.
Although agreeing to settle the case without the court deciding right or wrong, Ford continues to deny all liability and wrongdoing concerning the vehicles. The automaker says it decided to settle to get the matter over with and avoid the cost of further litigation.
Ford wants the lug nut lawsuit tossed because "the plaintiffs never allege the swollen lug nuts have ever caused physical injuries to any person or damage to any property."
Ford also says the plaintiffs talk about swollen lug nuts as if the lug nuts should be indestructible and the warranties should last forever, then wrongly "attempt to cast their product-defect allegations as warranty, fraud and unjust-enrichment claims."
Ford has been sued for switching to a 2-piece lug nut design that features an aluminum cap. When exposed to the elements, the cap swells in the heat, cracks and delaminates, and corrodes from moisture.
This leaves owners and lessees who get flat tires often stranded on the roads without the ability for even tow truck drivers to remove the swollen lug nuts. This means a tow to the shop just to have the lug nuts removed and the tire replaced.
Takata says there are 2.7 million Ford and Nissan vehicles that should be recalled because they contain dangerous airbags. Given their propensity to explode in people's faces, it seems only logical to follow that advice. Nissan’s on board but Ford isn’t sold on the idea because the airbags contain a drying agent that’s supposed to protect the inflators.
Ford is doing its best to steer clear of an EPAS lawsuit, saying the plaintiff's claims don't merit class-action certification because the steering problems are too widespread to prove any "common defect." Nothing says confidence in your product like saying there's too many defects to prove one, singular defect.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has closed their investigation into electronic throttle body (ETB) problems in Ford vehicles after Ford agreed to fix 1.6 million of their cars and SUVs. Just don't call it a recall. Oh no, Ford has spun this one into a "customer satisfaction program." The program extends the warranty on the ETB for up to 10 years or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle and encourages owners to visit a Ford dealer to have their vehicle's software updated.
1st Generation Fusion News and Notes
Bite-sized content about all the recalls, lawsuits, and investigations surrounding the 2006-2012 Fusion.