Mustang Owner Sues Ford Over $9,500 EcoBoost Engine Replacement

Ford has been slapped with a class action lawsuit that claims coolant can leak into the cylinders of its popular 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-pot engine, found in several Ford and Lincoln models.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, alleges that coolant leaks into the engine can cause power loss, cylinder wall corrosion, oil dilution, contamination, and eventual engine failure. It also claims that insufficient coolant from these leaks could lead to engine overheating, potentially resulting in “catastrophic engine failures and potential engine fires”.

Read: Ford Recalls 2024 Mustangs For Control Arms That Might Snap

Plaintiffs Trevor Nelson and Sarah Nelson are behind the lawsuit. They purchased a new 2018 Ford Mustang with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine from Galpin Ford in North Hills, California.

In December 2023, the couple took their car to a Ford dealership in Costa Mesa, California, after the orange engine light turned on and the Mustang started to shake when turned on. The dealership quickly determined that coolant was leaking into the engine and quoted $9,000 to install a refurbished 2.3-liter engine.

The Nelsons ultimately paid $9,460 to have their engine replaced but are not confident their car will ever be permanently repaired as Ford has not issued a recall to rectify the fault itself, they claim. Instead, the lawsuit asserts the carmaker has not replaced engine blocks as it should and only provided superficial stopgaps and ‘Band-Aid’ remedies, like recalibrating the engine software and installing coolant level sensors.

The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial and have requested declaratory and injunctive relief, plus an award of compensatory, exemplary, and statutory damages for themselves and all other class members.

The lawsuit alleges that Ford has known about defects with its EcoBoost engine since at least June 2012, and that year, launched a recall for smaller 1.6-liter EcoBoost engines that could overheat and experience fluid leaks. However, no similar recall has been issued for the 2.3-liter engine.