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A Ford Transit Trail class action lawsuit alleges a tire rub recall removes the “off-road” capability of the vehicles.
The lawsuit says the original 30.5 inch tires have been replaced with 28.5 inch tires to prevent the tires from rubbing against the wheel arch liners.
Ford Transit Trail Tire Rub Recall
According to the March 2024 Ford Transit Trail tire rub recall, the front tire can make contact with the wheel arch liner when applying the brakes while making a turn and when the van is loaded at or near the front gross axle weight rating.
“Ford Engineering demonstrated that the shoulder area of the front tires can contact the wheel arch liners at 60% of full turn while braking, when the vehicle is loaded at or near the vehicle’s Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (FGAWR).” — Ford
The tire rub can eventually damage the tire and cause a loss of air and tread belt separation. When the Transit Trail tire rub recall was initially announced in March 2024, Ford knew of five warranty claims and 10 field reports related to the tire rub problem. In addition, one owner reported tire rub problems on seven different Transit Trail vans.
Ford’s engineers were working on a fix for the 1,900 recalled 2023-2024 vans when the recall was announced. Ford Transit Trail owners were issued interim recall letters and told they would be contacted once dealers had the necessary parts.
In recall letters dated March 2025, Ford told van owners this about the tire rub recall repairs:
“Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to inspect the weld flange and repair if needed, replace all valve stems and all 4 tires with Goodyear 235/65R16C tires, replace both front wheel arch liners, update the vehicle software, and replace the Safety Certification and TREAD Act labels free of charge (parts and labor).”
Ford says van owners can be reimbursed if they previously paid for repairs related to tire and/or wheel liner repairs. And a dealer can pick up the van and bring it back to the owner after the Transit Trail has been repaired.
Ford Transit Trail Class Action Lawsuit
The lawsuit says Ford marketed the 2023-2024 Transit Trail vans specifically for off-road use and equipped the vehicles with 30.5 inch tires for that purpose. The two van owners who filed the class action contend replacing the 30.5 inch tires with 28.5 inch versions has defeated the entire purpose of buying the off-road vehicles.
The class action says Ford promised “the Transit Trail adventure-ready chassis is re-tuned and tested to meet the same BUILT FORD TOUGH durability standards as the rest of the Transit lineup.” But the two owners who sued complain that was a false promise.
Ford allegedly knew about the tire size problems when the vans were first sold but failed to tell consumers. And Ford allegedly has not offered any kind of compensation for selling off-road vehicles that allegedly cannot be used off-road.
Although Ford issued the Transit Trail tire rub recall in March 2024, the plaintiffs want the judge to require Ford to issue a “prompt, complete, and effective recall or free replacement/repair program.”
The Ford Transit Trail class action lawsuit was filed by Minnesota plaintiff Michele Provo and Virginia plaintiff Susan Cherwa.
The Ford Transit Trail tire rub recall lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware: Provo, et al., v. Ford Motor Company.
The plaintiffs are represented by Berger Montague PC, and Capstone Law APC.