A new lawsuit accuses Ford of hiding excessive oil consumption in its V8 pickups, sparking claims of engine damage and legal fallout
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by Brad Anderson
8 hours ago
by Brad Anderson
- Lawsuit claims Ford’s 5.0-liter V8 consumes excessive engine oil, reducing performance.
- Plaintiffs claim the company knowingly concealed the defect and failed to issue recalls.
- F-150 owner’s manual allegedly contains mistakes about oil use and maintenance intervals.
Concerns over engine reliability have taken center stage for a group of Ford F-150 owners who say their pickups are using far more oil than they should. A new class action lawsuit filed in Michigan brings together drivers from nine states, all pointing to the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 as the source of the problem.
The complaint argues that the excessive oil use doesn’t just hurt fuel economy, it also cuts into performance and may even cause long-term damage to the engine.
Read: Ford Sued Over ‘Band-Aid’ Fix For Alleged Defective Engines
According to the lawsuit, the F-150’s owner’s manual contains mistakes about how much oil the pickup uses and the frequency with which engine oil needs to be added. It also notes that the pickup truck’s intelligent oil life monitor, designed to inform drivers when it’s time to change the oil, can illuminate as soon as 3,000 miles (4,800 km) after a previous oil change.
Oil Burn and Carbon Buildup
However, the inconvenience of topping off and the need for more frequent oil changes isn’t the only thing that has upset owners.
They also allege that, as the engine oil control system does not work as intended, oil can pass into the combustion chamber and is burned off, rather than being used to lubricate the engine. This doesn’t just impact performance and efficiency but also causes carbon deposits to form, which could damage the engine.
Alleged Concealment By Ford
As reported by CarComplaints, the lawsuit claims Ford has long been aware of the excessive oil consumption problem but concealed the defect from customers and has yet to issue a recall for the affected trucks. It also alleges that some dealers have declined to repair the 5.0-liter Coyote V8, even when the vehicles were still under warranty.
The case currently names 12 plaintiffs, each an owner of a 2018, 2019, or 2020 F-150. Represented in the class action are drivers from Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Kentucky, California, and Florida. Together, they argue that Ford should be held accountable for engines that use oil at rates far higher than what’s reasonable for a modern pickup.
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Brad Anderson's lifelong affair and fascination with cars started young. Before even graduating high school,... Read full bio
