There is a group of Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang owners that aren’t too happy.
A lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, seeking monetary damages for a proposed nationwide class of consumers who purchased or leased Shelby GT350 Mustangs. The lawsuit alleges Ford knowingly sold defective Shelby GT350 sports cars, saying that while they were marketed as “track-ready,” the Shelby GT350 cannot actually be operated safely on a race track.
Owners are saying that once on the track, the Shelby GT350 Mustang can lose speed and power mid-drive, without warning and in as little as 15 minutes. They are being represented by Hagens Berman, which achieved the then-largest automotive settlement in U.S. history – $1.6 billion against Toyota for a concealed defect. Hagens Berman is also leading the litigation against General Motors for its ignition switch defects, as well as various national lawsuits against Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz for illegal use of emissions-cheating software.
SEE ALSO: 2016 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350 Review
The lawsuit alleges Shelby GT350 Mustangs with the base model or Technology Package can overheat due to defective transmissions and rear differentials that cannot keep cool enough to function at high speeds without external transmission and differential coolers. When this happens, the vehicles reportedly go into Limp Mode, suddenly losing power and rapidly decelerating.
“When Ford marketed and sold these Shelby GT350 Mustangs, it knew exactly how to appeal to track-enthusiasts: it marketed enhanced performance in a limited-edition iconic vehicle that has been associated with racing for generations,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman. “We believe that Ford induced purchasers with its ‘track-ready’ marketing, when in fact it knew that this defect would ultimately bar these Mustangs from ever being the hotrod consumers paid for.”
