Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang Class Finally Gets Certified
*Note CCC is not a claims administrator, nor can we provide any information on the status of claims. Please do not reach out with questions about a specific claim, but we are happy to continue helping people file claims.
A class action lawsuit involving Ford’s Shelby GT350 Mustang, originally filed in March of 2017, has finally received class certification over four years after its filing. The plaintiffs accused Ford of deploying a misleading marketing campaign for the Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang.
Ford marketed the car as “track-ready” when in fact it had overheating problems that did not allow it to be fully functional on a racetrack. After complaints from angry customers, Ford addressed their concerns by adding accessories to reduce overheating, which customers argued should have been there in the first place and that the only reason they weren’t was so Ford could increase profits. Furthermore, they said since they didn’t have these initially and the car was subjected to the problems, it should not have been marketed as “track-ready” since it clearly was not.
Along with class certification achieved on July 1, the plaintiffs have also petitioned to have the class period extended. The plaintiffs are arguing that the class period should be extended to one of the following dates, from April 1, 2016: April 27, 2016; September 30, 2016; March 27, 2017; or May 16, 2017. Each of these dates would raise the amount of Shelby’s that are eligible to file significantly, from 30% to 53% to 86% to 89% to 98%, respectively. They contend that the April 1, 2016 date excludes seven class representatives and puts, “almost 70% of otherwise eligible Class Members at risk of being excluded from relief in this litigation.”
The current class period is for anyone who bought a Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang before April 1, 2016, in which only 30% of the 2016 models were purchased. The plaintiffs are arguing that the class period should be extended to either April 27, 2016, when Ford shared a service bulletin about its defects, September 30, 2016, when most of the produced Shelby’s had been delivered, March 27, 2017, when the plaintiffs filed their initial complaints, or May 16, 2017, when the plaintiffs filed their first amended complaint. They argue that the April 1, 2016 date excludes seven class representatives and puts, “almost 70% of otherwise eligible Class Members at risk of being excluded from relief in this litigation.”
The plaintiffs are arguing that the class period should be extended to one of the following dates, from April 1, 2016: April 27, 2016; September 30, 2016; March 27, 2017; or May 16, 2017. Each of these dates would raise the amount of Shelby’s that are eligible to file significantly, from 30% to 53% to 86% to 89% to 98%, respectively. They argue that the April 1, 2016 date excludes seven class representatives and puts, “almost 70% of otherwise eligible Class Members at risk of being excluded from relief in this litigation.”