California Ford truck owners claim trucks fail to reverse

As motor vehicles evolve and advance, new car buyers may be amazed at the capabilities their vehicles have. It may seem at times as if the car or truck can think for itself, anticipate the driver's moves and even adjust for conditions in the environment. However, what does a driver do when the vehicle will not back up? It seems like a basic thing to expect from a vehicle, but California owners of Ford F-150s are finding their trucks cannot always perform this function.

A proposed class action claim against Ford describes a disturbing defect in F-150s manufactured after 2012. When drivers put the truck in reverse, it fails to engage. The engine suddenly races as high as 3,000 RPM, but the vehicle does not move. Drivers are forced to turn the truck off and restart it before they can back the truck up.

One man explains that he returned to the Ford dealer for help with the transmission issue and was told that Ford was aware of the problem, and that it was normal for the make and model to perform this way. The car maker had instructed mechanics not to attempt any repairs and instead to tell customers to continue turning the engine off and on when the truck transmission failed to engage in reverse. Drivers agree this can be most dangerous if, for example, they needed to back up to complete a sharp turn to avoid being stuck in the road.

Consumers are protected from defective vehicles by the California lemon law that requires car manufacturers to replace or repurchase a vehicle that cannot be repaired. When vehicle owners fail to obtain satisfaction from the car maker, they have other options. Seeking advice from an experienced consumer rights attorney is the first step to learning about these alternatives.