Ford Motor Company lowers EPA numbers on six models

Ford Motor Company today announced today it is decreasing the fuel economy ratings for its 2013- and 2014-model hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles as well as on most 2014 model-year Fiestas. The reductions, which resulted from testing errors discovered during an in-house audit, range from one to seven mpg. They impact the 2013-2014 Ford C-MAX/Ford Fusion/Lincoln MKZ Hybrids and C-MAX/Fusion Energi Plug-in Hybrids as well as the aforementioned Fiestas. 

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Following the discovery of these fuel-rating anomalies, Ford advised the EPA and performed follow-up retesting on each of those vehicles under the government agency’s oversight to establish new mileage numbers. It also revisited results from all other Ford and Lincoln models to ensure their official stats matched the original published ratings.  

Customer payments offered

In addressing the matter, Alan Mulally, Ford president and CEO, noted that the company remains absolutely committed to delivering top fuel economy and accurate information. "We apologize to our customers and will provide goodwill payments to affected owners. We also are taking steps to improve our processes and prevent issues like this from happening again." 

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The goodwill payments are meant to cover the difference between the original estimated average fuel cost and the revised fuel economy numbers (as shown in the table below.) They range from $125 on a leased 2014 Fiesta with the 1.0-liter EcoBoost 3-cylinder to $1,050 on a purchased 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ hybrid. Ford estimates that about 200,000 of the vehicles in question have been sold or leased. The company also told dealers that new EPA labels will be available within the next six days. 

Customers with questions can contact the Ford Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332 or stop by www.ford.com/mpglabel  and www.lincoln.com/mpglabel for more information. 

This is the second time in two years that Ford has modified EPA numbers. 

Last year, the automaker reduced fuel economy ratings on the 2013 C-MAX Hybrid to bring them closer into line with real-world performance. However, that change did not impact ratings for the Fusion Hybrid which shares the same platform and powertrain. 

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