Class action win: Ford owners on track for compensation

Last updated on July 10th, 2025

Ford owners are being urged to register for the long-running PowerShift class action after a landmark ruling that could see thousands of Australians receive upwards of $20,000 in compensation.

If you are one of the estimated 70,000 car owners who bought or leased a Ford Focus, Fiesta or EcoSport manufactured between 2010 and mid 2016, you may be entitled to damages for the manufacturer’s use of the defective automatic transmission system.

 

 

Class action spokesperson and CEO of Handle My Complaint, Jo Ucukalo, said owners of these vehicles – current or former – should register their details with law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth as soon as possible to help determine their eligibility in a settlement that is likely to run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

“Ford has been dragging this case through the courts for years, with the judiciary repeatedly describing these models as lemons,” she said. “The latest Federal Court ruling is not only a long-overdue victory for the lead plaintiff but a major step for all other owners affected by the company’s failure to comply with Australian Consumer Law (ACL).”

Unfair delaying tactics

Justice Nye Perram awarded lead plaintiff Biljana Capic about $22,000 in damages for the issues with her Ford Focus, roughly what she paid for the car in 2012.

Ms Capic, who had her car serviced 15 times before proper repairs were made, said Ford Australia had fought every step of the way.

“I think anyone who makes the decision to purchase a car would expect the car maker to take responsibility for any design faults and to compensate people when they occur,” she said.

Ford’s refusal to admit fault and address owners' concerns resulted in the class action, which was launched in 2016. The manufacturer then put car owners through what Ms Ucukalo described as “every trick in the book” to delay, stymie or block fair compensation during the court process.

This continued even after the Federal Court fined Ford $10 million, one of the largest penalties under ACL, in 2018 for "unconscionable conduct in the way it dealt with complaints about PowerShift transmission cars”.

Ms Capic said it should never have been this way. “It’s a relief to finally get an outcome that reflects the harm caused to owners of these Ford cars, and the massive inconvenience many of us faced trying to get the problems fixed.”

Justice Perram’s decision, handed down in June, follows appeals against the Federal Court judge’s ruling in 2021 that Ms Capic’s car had multiple defects arising from the PowerShift system.

The Full Bench of the Federal Court upheld the decision in 2023, as did the High Court in 2024, rejecting Ford’s appeals and returning the case to Justice Perram to rule on compensation.

The judge awarded Ms Capic $6,820.91 for reduction in value damages, or roughly 30 percent of the purchase price, as well as $16,120.19 compensation for GST, stamp duty, financing costs and interest.

 

 

Call for owners to register

Ms Ucukalo said the amount awarded reflected the seriousness of the matter, with the judge finding that the issues Ms Capic experienced with her car – including loss of power, harsh gear shifts, intermittent revving and sudden deceleration – also affected more than 70,000 other Ford Focus, Fiesta and EcoSport models.

“The judge found that those owners were also entitled to compensation for loss of value, stamp duty and GST paid, as well as interest and financing costs if applicable,” Ms Ucukalo said.

“Our focus now is to identify as many people as possible who acquired these cars between January 2011 and 20 December 2024, even if they no longer own the car, to ensure they are also compensated. While you are automatically part of the class action unless you opted out, your claim will not be assessed if you do not register.”

 

 

If you own, or have owned a Ford Fiesta, Focus or EcoSport vehicle manufactured between 2010 and mid 2016, visit www.fordclassaction.net for more details. The full list of vehicles is available, as is more detail on the class action proceedings to date.

Once you register, you will be kept informed on the progress of the class action settlement and what, if anything, you may be entitled to receive. The more information and detail you can provide, the more it helps strengthen your case.

The amount each group member receives from a class action can vary considerably depending on individual circumstances. It also depends on legal fees and other costs involved in running the case, which are shared among all group members.

Fighting for your rights

Ms Ucukalo said while the Ford PowerShift class action has been a marathon affair, it is also a reminder of how important this legal avenue is in getting consumers the justice they deserve.

“The courts have put corporations on notice, reminding them of their duty to comply with Australian Consumer Law and do the right thing by their customers,” she said.

“The more we stand together, the stronger we are.”