Ford Motor Co. agreed to pay $19.2 million in a multi-state settlement over allegations it made false claims in advertisements about certain vehicles' fuel economy and payload capacity.
Forty states and the District of Columbia alleged that Ford misrepresented how far consumers could drive on a tank of gas in 2013-2014 C-Max hybrids and used a deceptive strategy to calculate payload in 2011-2014 Super Duty pick-up trucks.
“Consumers place a premium on fuel-efficiency when shopping for new vehicles. For years, Ford advertised impressive fuel economy and payload capacity for its cars and trucks,” Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said in a statement. “Unfortunately, these figures were not based in reality, leaving customers with vehicles that did not meet their standards.”
The agreement also bars Ford from making false or misleading ad claims about fuel economy and payload capacity of new vehicles and subjects the company to further penalties if it violates the agreement.
Ford did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
"We are pleased that the matter is closed without any judicial finding of improper conduct," Ford spokesperson Cathie Hargett said via email. "We worked with the states to resolve their concerns and in the process limited additional investigative costs and legal expenses for all parties."
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