On September 13, 2019, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated approval of the class action settlement in the case Vargas, et al. v. Ford Motor Company (D.C. 2:12-cv-08388-AB-FFM). The Appeals Court found that the settlement may not have been fair and adequate to class members, and remanded it for further review.
This settlement had provided that class members–owners of certain Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta models with transmission issues–would give up their individual lemon law and consumer fraud rights in exchange for certain consideration such as smaller cash payments or coupons toward a new purchase, and an arbitration process paid for by Ford with limited remedies.
With approval of the settlement vacated, our firm is pursuing individual claims on behalf of consumers who suffered with these defective transmissions.
The current status of the class settlement is that the federal district court will examine it more closely, and may again choose to approve it. Therefore, we recommend that consumers considering pursuing a claim make sure to investigate your legal rights without delay, as they may again disappear or be reduced by re-approval of the settlement.
2011-2016 Ford Focus and 2011-2016 Ford Fiesta vehicles built with dual-clutch transmissions prone to shuddering, slipping, bucking, jerking, hesitation while changing gears, premature internal wear, delays in downshifting and, in some cases, sudden or delayed acceleration may be affected by the class settlement.
These problems and Ford’s failure to take responsibility for them have become better known, which may increase the value of your potential claim.
If you have had these or any other problems with your vehicle, contact us for a fast, free and confidential evaluation today.