The Ford Mustang is one of the most iconic cars on the road. Known for its muscle car prowess and distinctive sporty style, the Ford Mustang has long been a favorite of car enthusiasts. With all the excitement and buzz around the release of each new model, it would probably be hard for some to believe that recent Mustangs have been plagued by an issue so serious that it generated a class-action lawsuit.

What serious issue do recent Mustang owners need to know about? What are the details of the lawsuit? Let’s take a closer look.

The Ford Mustang lawsuit

Consumer website CarComplaints.com has reported that a class-action lawsuit has been filed in California against the Ford Motor Company. The suit is centered around defective manual transmissions, the Getrag MT82, used in leased or purchased Ford Mustangs from model years 2011 through 2019. The Ford Mustang MT82 class-action lawsuit claims these transmissions clash gears, engage roughly, jerk and slip before eventually failing or wearing out.

It’s alleged the automaker was trying to save money on the transmissions which have resulted in the burden of costly repairs being passed to the owners. Mustang owners have had to pay for MT82 clutch assemblies, shift forks, shift shafts, and synchronizers because Ford allegedly can’t or refuses to repair the transmissions properly. Owners claim as a result they are driving cars with decreased values because of the faulty transmissions. 

The lawsuit states that Ford caused the problem in switching from Tremec and Borg Warner transmissions to less expensive Chinese-manufactured Getrag manual transmissions. Both the Getrag MT82 and MT82-D4 transmissions are defective according to the suit and have created endless problems for trusting Mustang lessees and owners.

According to the lawsuit, even if a Ford dealership replaced the MT82 transmission for a given Ford Mustang owner, the new transmission was also defective. 

Restitution

The lawsuit claims that Ford knew about the MT82 transmission issue, referencing seven different special service messages and technical service bulletins (TSBs) sent to its dealers since 2011. Information related to the faulty Ford Mustang transmissions were contained in those communications.  

The bulletins outlined a series of actions for technicians to take if Mustang owners complained about the faulty manual transmissions. The lawsuit alleges that while Ford knew about the problems with the MT82 transmission, they instructed technicians at their dealerships to deny knowledge of any defects. The suit also identified a canned response that Ford sent to customers who initiated contact about the MT82 transmissions.

What do the plaintiffs want? According to the class-action lawsuit, the plaintiffs want the Ford Motor Company to halt the sale of the Mustangs. They want the automaker to return all profits and make full restitution to those who bought or leased Ford Mustangs from model years 2011 through 2019.

The 2020 Ford Mustang

The 2020 Ford Mustang continues the nameplate’s tradition of head-turning style and driving verve according to Car and Driver. 

What’s new? While the 2020 Mustangs still have the standard turbocharged four-cylinder engine, Ford added a High-Performance package and an EcoBoost Handling package that adds gets 330 horsepower and hardware from the V8 models. 

You can get the new Mustang as either a convertible or a coupe. The EcoBoost Handling package takes the four-cylinder Mustang to the next level with a distinct suspension and additions that shorten lap times on a racetrack. 

It should be noted that you can only get the EcoBoost Handling package with the coupe. 

The 2020 Ford Mustang gets new standard features like the FordPass Connect smartphone app and 17-inch redesigned wheels for the new EcoBoost models. There are new exterior colors across the Mustang lineup including Grabber Lime, Iconic Silver, Red Hot Metallic, and Twister Orange.  It’s also been announced that the high-performing Mach 1 model will return for Ford Mustang’s 2021 model year.

The future of the Ford Mustang and the MT82 class-action lawsuit’s impact on it remains to be seen.