Hagens Berman: Owners of Ford Mustang Mach-E Electric Vehicles Sue Automaker for Shutdown Defect Causing Sudden, Immediate Power Loss

Consumer-rights law firm representing Mustang Mach-E EV owners grappling with safety concerns

DETROIT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A class-action lawsuit filed today against Ford accuses the automaker of knowingly placing its customers and the public at risk via a defect affecting at least half of Ford’s Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles, causing sudden and total loss of power, according to attorneys at Hagens Berman.

According to the lawsuit, certain Ford Mach-E vehicles were designed and built with a defective high voltage main battery contactor that can reportedly suddenly and unexpectedly cause the vehicle to lose power, disabling the engine and key safety features. The defect presents a high risk of crash, injury and death.

If you took delivery of your Mustang Mach-E anytime in or after May 2021, your EV may contain a defect that can cause sudden, immediate loss of power. Contact Hagens Berman to find out more about this issue and your consumer rights against Ford.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and accuses Ford of “selling Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles that were dangerously defective and prone to complete and partial shut-down while driving” and subsequently shifting the risk of a dangerous shut-down event onto vehicle owners by failing to remedy the known defect.

Attorneys say Ford has instructed its dealerships to stop delivering Mustang Mach-E vehicles, yet has done nothing to halt the use of those already on the road.

According to the suit, Ford’s only remedy has been to issue an over-the-air software update that will likely do nothing to solve a hardware defect and may have unintended consequences of slowing charging time and decreasing engine power for owners as it derates the function of the charger and engine(s) to avoid overheating, but fails to fix the battery contactor defect.

The lawsuit states, “…instead of actually fixing the defective contactors, Ford instead downgrades the power of the battery and vehicle power, rendering performance something less than what Mach-E owners purchased and what Ford promoted for the Shutdown Defect Vehicles.”

“At best, Ford’s touted ‘fix’ is seemingly insufficient and ineffective, rendering these cars far from the Mustang name they were given, and at worst, it is only delaying the very likely potential that a sudden shut-off event caused by the Mustang Mach-E defect could cause a fatal crash,” said Steve Berman, Hagens Berman co-founder and managing partner.

“Mustang Mach-E owners are reporting terrifying events – complete loss of throttle at full speed on the highway, attempting to pass traffic with sudden total loss of power,” Berman added. “We want to see Ford take meaningful action, fast.”

The lawsuit seeks repayment for owners of affected vehicles under consumer-rights laws, including out-of-pocket costs incurred in attempting to rectify and mitigate the defect’s effects, as well as loss of vehicle value due to the defect that has arguably tarnished the Mustang Mach-E brand.

The firm has brought dozens of class-action lawsuits against automakers, including an additional class action filed against Ford in July 2022 for spontaneous fires in its luxury SUVs. Hagens Berman has helped successfully secure the largest automotive settlements in history.

Learn more about the class-action lawsuit against Ford on behalf of Mustang Mach-E owners.

About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation law firm with a tenacious drive for achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. Since its founding in 1993, the firm’s determination has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of “Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firm,” MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.