DiCello Levitt represents proposed classes of Ford vehicle owners alleging that Ford knowingly advertised and sold certain truck models with a dangerous tailgate defect.

The defect, which affects model year 2017–2021 Ford F-250, F-350, and F-450 Super Duty trucks with an electronic tailgate latch release switch, causes the trucks to spontaneously open—even while driving—posing serious safety risks to owners, lessees, passengers, and other drivers on the road, and potentially causing severe physical harm, as well as the loss of valuable cargo and damage to towed trailers, boats, and other nearby vehicles.

Ford knew about the problems with its tailgate system since at least 2017. Upon learning about the issue, not only did Ford conceal it from consumers, but it also actively continued marketing the affected trucks, emphasizing their superior hauling capacity. Ford eventually was forced to admit the defect and issued a recall of 231,664 vehicles.

The recall, however, is inadequate. It fails to include all affected vehicles, and Ford has not adequately notified consumers of the recall, with some people never receiving any notice. The company has also failed to reimburse consumers for out-of-pocket repair expenses related to the tailgate defect. Further, even vehicles that received repairs under the recall continued to suffer from the issue.

DiCello Levitt seeks to recover damages on behalf of class members who purchased these defective and dangerous trucks and to hold Ford accountable for its efforts to hide the defect in clear disregard of the danger that it poses.