Editor's note: Suits & Settlements is a weekly column in which Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds takes a look at the latest automotive-related legal headlines.
In this week’s Suits & Settlements, you’ll find the following reports:
Tesla Fights Class Certification in Full Self-Driving Lawsuit. Tesla is asking the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to undo class-action status for California buyers who accuse the automaker of misleading them about the capabilities of its Full Self-Driving technology, according to Law360 and Tesla's regulatory filings. The underlying lawsuit alleges Tesla made false or misleading representations about the autonomous-driving capabilities its vehicles either possessed or would eventually receive. A federal judge certified a limited class in August 2025 consisting of California consumers who were not subject to arbitration agreements, and the 9th Circuit later agreed to hear Tesla's appeal. Tesla now argues there is no evidence establishing that every member of the certified class actually saw or relied upon the particular statement on Tesla's website at the center of the claims. That distinction is important because Tesla contends buyers who never encountered the disputed representation cannot collectively claim they were deceived by it. The company is asking the appeals court to decertify the classes rather than allow the case to continue toward trial on a classwide basis. The appeal does not determine whether Tesla's Full Self-Driving marketing was truthful or misleading; the immediate question is whether the plaintiffs satisfy the legal requirements to pursue their claims collectively. The district court proceedings have been stayed while the 9th Circuit considers the issue, and the allegations against Tesla have not been proven.
Ford and Bronco Builder Battle Over Who Owns the Look. Ford Motor Co. and custom vehicle builder Vintage Modern are asking a Georgia federal judge to resolve major portions of their trademark battle over customized Broncos without a trial, according to Law360 and federal court records. Ford sued Vintage Modern, formerly known as Vintage Broncos, in October 2024, accusing the company of infringing Ford's Bronco trademarks and other intellectual property while selling extensively modified SUVs inspired by the classic first-generation Bronco. Vintage Modern modifies newer Broncos to give them styling reminiscent of the 1966-1977 originals. Ford contends the company's use of Bronco-related names, imagery and design elements can create confusion about whether the vehicles are authorized, sponsored or approved by Ford. Vintage Modern disputes Ford's claims and has mounted an unusual counterattack, arguing that Ford improperly maintained or renewed its Bronco trademark registration during the years the Bronco was no longer being produced. The Bronco disappeared from Ford's U.S. lineup after the 1996 model year and returned for 2021. Both sides have now filed motions for summary judgment, asking the court to decide certain issues based on the existing evidence rather than sending everything to a jury. No final determination has been made on the trademark claims or defenses.
BMW Sued Over Alleged “Lifetime” Fluid and Transfer Case Failures. BMW is facing proposed class claims alleging that fluid it represented as lasting for the lifetime of the vehicle can contribute to costly and potentially dangerous transfer-case problems if it is not periodically serviced, according to Law360 and court filings. The litigation concerns BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system, where the transfer case distributes power between the front and rear wheels. Plaintiffs allege deterioration of the fluid can contribute to jerking, shuddering or binding, particularly during low-speed acceleration and turns, and that owners can eventually face expensive transfer-case repairs or replacement. The complaint contends BMW represented the fluid as a lifetime fill that did not require routine replacement while allegedly possessing information indicating the transfer cases could develop problems. Court filings point to BMW service information dating to 2020 addressing customer complaints of jerking or shuddering during cornering or acceleration from low speeds. The plaintiffs contend owners consequently were not given maintenance information that could have helped prevent or delay failures and are seeking damages and other relief through class-action claims. BMW has not been found liable, and the allegations that the fluid or transfer cases are defective remain to be proven. The case puts an interesting automotive maintenance question before the court: what exactly does “lifetime” mean when describing a fluid inside a major drivetrain component.
GM Can't Shake Ultium Home Charger Lawsuit. General Motors has lost most of its effort to dismiss a proposed class action alleging its Ultium PowerUP home EV chargers can repeatedly fail, trip circuit breakers and overheat, according to Law360 and federal court records. Florida residents Rick and Kerry Kriseman sued GM after purchasing an Ultium PowerUP charger from a Cadillac dealership in August 2024. They allege the charger's internal breaker repeatedly trips, forcing them to reset their home's circuit breaker, sometimes several times, in an effort to resume charging. Their complaint also alleges the unit has overheated severely enough to trigger their vehicle's alarm. GM sought dismissal, arguing in part that the plaintiffs had not adequately identified a specific defect and had not taken advantage of remedies available under the product's limited warranty. U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has now largely rejected GM's dismissal effort, allowing the couple's deceptive trade practices theory to move forward based on allegations that GM knew about problems with the chargers but failed to disclose them. The ruling does not establish that the Ultium chargers are defective or that GM concealed a problem; it means the plaintiffs have alleged enough at this stage for significant portions of their case to continue. The proposed class covers Florida consumers who purchased certain 2022 through 2024 Ultium PowerUP chargers directly from GM or an authorized GM retailer.
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