Ford’s Transit Recall Ruined Off-Road Performance. Now, Owners Are Suing

Ford is facing a class action lawsuit that alleges the Transit Trail no longer lives up to what the automaker promised. The rugged van faced a recall in early 2024 stemming from its 30.5-inch Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse tires, which could rub against the wheel liner in certain situations. Ford’s solution? Swap out the tires for smaller 28.5-inch rubber.

The lawsuit alleges that this fix lowered the vehicle’s ground clearance, defeating the purpose of purchasing the trim and leaving the vehicle “closer to the less expensive Ford Transit base model than the Transit Trail.” The recall “removes the primary benefit of the Transit “Trail” models,” according to the filing.

Ford introduced the Transit Trail in November 2022, advertising the benefits of the Trail’s 3.5-inch increase in ride height and 30.5-inch all-terrain tires. The 2023 Transit Trail had a $65,975 starting price, and one plaintiff claims she wouldn’t have bought one if she had known about the safety defect, which the lawsuit alleges Ford intentionally concealed.

Ford issued the recall for the tire rubbing on the Transit in March 2024 after beginning to investigate the issue in late January 2024, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s safety recall report. Ford engineers discovered that the front tire shoulders could contact the wheel arch liners at “60 percent of full turn while braking when the vehicle is loaded at or near the vehicle’s Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (FGWAR).”

Motor1 has reached out to Ford about the lawsuit, but companies often don’t comment on pending litigation. We’ll be sure to update this story if we hear back. In the meantime, you can read the filing here.