America’s best-selling vehicle could have a billion-dollar fuel economy problem

The Ford F-150, part of the F-Series family of models that has ruled America’s sales chart for decades, is the target of a $1.2 billion lawsuit filed by owners of 2018 and 2019 models who argue they’re paying too much for gasoline. Plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit in a Michigan court accusing Ford of falsifying the popular truck’s fuel economy figures.

Hagens Berman, the Seattle-based law firm representing F-150 owners, asserted that Ford rigged fuel economy tests to overestimate the truck’s highway gas mileage by 15%, and its city gas mileage by 10%. The lawsuit adds the false data could cost owners more than $2,000 in gasoline over the life of their truck, which is estimated at 150,000 miles. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pegs the V6-powered model’s fuel economy at 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway; owners insist real-world mileage is closer to 17 and 22, respectively. read more »

Mercedes-Benz Maker Books $1.3 Billion Loss on Emissions, Airbag Recalls

Daimler AG, the maker of Mercedes-Benz luxury cars, says it lost 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in the second quarter as the company booked 4.2 billion euros in one-time charges for troubles with diesel vehicles and air bag recalls.

The quarterly loss reported Wednesday was the company's first since 2009 and a bumpy start for new CEO Ola Kallenius, who took over from Dieter Zetsche on May 22 and since then has had to issue two profit warnings.

The Stuttgart-based company is under investigation in Germany and the U.S. and faces U.S. civil lawsuits in connection with its cars' diesel emissions. read more »

GM Cruise Delays Robotaxi Debut in Latest Driverless Setback

General Motors Co.’s self-driving unit is backing off plans to deploy robotaxis by the end of this year, the latest indication of how auto and tech companies are struggling with the challenges of taking humans out from behind the wheel. read more »

Ex-Hyundai, Kia executives indicted over delayed engine recall

The prosecution on Wednesday indicted former executives of Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors on charges of delaying recall processes in Korea for 18 months, though they were allegedly aware of engine defects.

According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, three former executives who were responsible of product quality between 2015 and 2017 were indicted on charges of violating the Motor Vehicle Management Act.

The companies were aware of defects causing problems such as engine stalls, connecting rods wearing out and other issues when they recalled vehicles with Theta 2 engines in the US in September 2015, prosecutors said. Even though they were aware of the defects, executives didn’t recall products with similar problems in South Korea and started recalling products 18 months later in April 2017. read more »