Ford and parts-supplier Bosch have been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty diesel pickup truck spew nitrogen oxide emissions that hit 50-times the legal limit.
Over 500,000 of the diesel trucks were sold from 2011 to 2017, costing $8,400 more than their gasoline-fueled counterparts.
The lawsuit states that on-road testing showed that Ford’s diesel trucks polluted at levels far exceeding legal limits.
Bosch is accused of developing the software that enabled the Ford Super Duty diesel vehicles to sense when they were being tested for emissions and adjust fuel levels, exhaust re-circulation, air pressure and urea injection, allegedly for the purpose of cheating the test.
Specifically, the lawsuit states that the technology allowed Super Duty trucks to reverse the order of exhaust treatment during emissions testing, allowing Ford to advertise fuel-efficiency as well as power.
If the lawsuit prevails, Ford Super Duty trucks may need changes to the exhaust system that will reduce power, torque, and fuel efficiency.
Daniel Barbosa, a spokesman for Ford, told Bloomberg:
All Ford vehicles, including those with diesel engines, comply with all U.S. EPA and CARB emissions regulations. Ford vehicles do not have defeat devices. We will defend ourselves against these baseless claims.”
Ford is at least the 5th auto-maker accused of cheating on emissions for diesel vehicles in the U.S., a country with some of the strictest laws in the world for nitrous oxide (NOx) pollution. Diesel engines are more fuel-efficient than gasoline-fueled vehicles, but they emit more NOx.
Bosch faces similar allegations in lawsuits against VW, Fiat Chrysler and GM.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan — In RE: Gamboa v. Ford Motor Co. — Case No. 18-cv-10106.
Source: Ford Sued by Truck Owners, Adding It to Diesel Defendants