Skip to main content

Gas pains: Ford Fusion Hybrid and C-Max Hybrid owners sue carmaker over lofty mpg claims

Ford C-Max Hybrid overheadFord is being sued by owners of the 2013 Fusion Hybrid and C-Max Hybrid, who say the company’s official fuel economy claims are exaggerated, Bloomberg News reports.

“Plaintiffs are some of the tens of thousands of consumers who purchased a Fusion Hybrid or C-Max Hybrid, only to be stuck with under-performing, less-valuable vehicles that inflict higher fuel costs on their owners,” the complaint, filed Tuesday in federal court in Philadelphia, said.

Ford has been dogged by claims of fuel economy underperformance since December, when journalists and owners alike began reporting low numbers.

Both cars are rated at 47 mpg in all three EPA categories (city, highway, combined), but in Consumer Reports’ full test, the Fusion Hybrid returned 39 mpg, while the C-Max Hybrid returned 37 mpg.

This led the EPA to investigate the discrepancy, while Ford began talks with the agency about the fuel economy tests themselves. Both sides seemed to agree that driving a hybrid involves more variables than a normal car, and that real-world fuel economy figures were more likely to fluctuate.

“There’s absolutely no doubt: A hybrid is going to be far more variable than a conventional vehicle,” Linc Wehrly, director of light duty vehicle compliance at the EPA’s Ann Arbor, Michigan test facility told the Detroit News at the time.

In addition, Ford says its hybrids are designed to drive like normal cars first, and hybrids second. This is especially true of the C-Max, which is advertised as a more powerful, sportier alternative to the Toyota Prius V.

Making a car fun to drive isn’t a bad thing, but enthusiastic driving tends to negatively affect fuel economy. It’s also not something that’s easily accounted for in controlled tests.

The EPA’s investigation hasn’t found any wrongdoing on Ford’s part so far, but the lawsuit accuses Ford of fraud and violating Pennsylvania’s unfair trade practices and consumer protection laws.

The plaintiffs are seeking at least $5 million in damages, probably to pay off their gas cards.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Mercedes to trial humanoid robots for ‘low-skill, repetitive, demanding’ jobs
Apptronik's Apollo robot at work in an auto plant.

Humanoid robots have been coming on leaps and bounds in recent years, and some major companies are starting to take note.

Mercedes-Benz, for example, has just entered into an agreement with Texas-based robotics specialist Apptronik to collaborate on identifying applications for highly advanced robots that the auto giant could deploy. The deal will involve a trial that will see Apptronik's Apollo humanoid robot work alongside Mercedes' human workers on the factory floor.

Read more
Hyundai Ioniq 9: price, release date, range, and more
Hyundai Ioniq 9 Front

Hyundai has been at the forefront of EV development for a while now, largely thanks to the success of the crossover-sized Hyundai Ioniq 5. But the company is readying another new EV that could be even more popular than the Ioniq 5 -- or at least more desirable in the U.S., the land of big cars.

The upcoming Ioniq 9, previously set to be called the Ioniq 7, will be Hyundai's take on an electric SUV. It will be to Hyundai what the Kia EV9 is to Kia. It will have three rows and carry over design elements from the Ioniq 5.

Read more
Audi Q6 e-tron ushers in the automaker’s next EV phase
2025 Audi Q6 e-tron front three quarter view.

Audi doesn’t get enough credit for getting luxury car buyers comfortable with EVs. While Tesla took care of the image-conscious types, the German brand unveiled its e-tron electric SUV in 2018 with the tagline “electric has gone Audi” in hopes of getting loyal customers excited about (or, at least, acclimated to) electric cars by pitching the e-tron as an Audi first and an EV second.

The e-tron wasn’t a one-off, either. It’s since evolved into the Q8 e-tron and has been joined by the sporty e-tron GT and entry-level Q4 e-tron. So, while some car brands are only just introducing their first electric models, Audi is ready for round two.

Read more