Class-action status is being sought for a lawsuit against Ford Motor Co. over a type of transmission that renders Ford Focuses from 2011 to 2015 "virtually inoperable," the lawsuit said.
In the lawsuit, filed on Feb. 20, Kevin and Andrea Klipfel, and other unnamed plaintiffs, are suing Ford Motor Co., plus 10 unnamed individual defendants. The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial to hear its allegations that Ford violated the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, the Unfair Competition Law, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and express warranty guarantees under the California Commercial Code.
Damages also are being sought over the alleged unjust enrichment of Ford in the process.
The lawsuit said that "an 'automated manual' transmission, i.e. the PowerShift
transmission, should have the convenience of an automatic transmission without sacrificing
the fuel efficiency and shift speed of a manually shifted vehicle. In practice, however, Ford's
PowerShift transmission is plagued by numerous problems and safety concerns, rendering the
vehicle virtually inoperable."
The plaintiffs allege that these transmissions contain "one or more design and/or manufacturing defects that cause, among other problems, transmission slips, bucking, kicking, jerking, harsh engagement, premature internal wear, sudden acceleration, delay in downshifts, delayed acceleration, difficulty stopping the vehicle and, eventually, transmission failure."
The plaintiffs are seeking undisclosed damages and are represented by Capstone Law APC in Los Angeles.
California Superior Court for San Luis Obispo County, case no. 15CVP0044.