Ford's Crusty Nuts Land In Court

Ford Motor Company finds itself on the receiving end of a lawsuit concerning the simplest part of any car or truck: the lug nuts.

In this case, nuts that swell and delaminate not long after purchase, rendering the vehicle’s lug wrench useless in the event of a flat tire, or when the owners decide to swap their seasonal rubber. The lawsuit, filed by Hagens Berman Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, seeks class-action status. Hundreds of claimants have put their name to the suit.

Millions of Ford vehicles dating back to 2010, including the popular Fusion and F-150, feature two-piece lug nuts with a steel core and chrome, aluminum, or stainless cap for appearance purposes, the lawsuit claims. That outer cap can swell, potentially endangering owners’ lives and wallets.
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MDarringer - 8/28/2017 8:54:06 AM

-3 Boost

Yeah. Crusty nuts are not a good thing.

Tiberius1701A - 8/28/2017 10:26:12 AM

+3 Boost

This is not a Ford only problem. Any manufacturer that uses clad capped lug nuts as opposed to chrome plated has the exact same problem. Of course this is more of a Northern clime problem.

Tiberius1701A - 8/28/2017 10:28:29 AM

+2 Boost

And the phrase 'not long after purchase' is pretty much and out and out lie. We generally do not see issues with these until they have several years of use.

TheSteve - 8/28/2017 12:10:37 PM

+2 Boost

Ford Australia is in court on multiple charges of systematically violating consumer protection laws in an epic way for years. From their self-destructing PowerShift transmission (which Ford would not replace under warranty, or would get the customer to partially pay), to illegal non-disclosure agreements, to a history or spontaneously combusting vehicles (Ford would tell affected customers they should deal with their insurance agents). Meanwhile, here: Lug nuts.

senft - 8/29/2017 6:15:25 AM

+1 Boost

Wasn't Crusty Nuts a recurring character on The Dukes of Hazard?