Class Action Suit Says Lithium-Ion Batteries in Ford Escape, Lincoln Corsair Hybrids Can Suddenly Catch Fire, Explode

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges the high-voltage lithium-ion batteries found in certain Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring plug-in hybrid vehicles can spontaneously catch fire or explode, even when a car is parked and off. 

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The 108-page class action suit says defendant Ford Motor Company has sold more than 20,000 model year 2020-2024 Escape Hybrid and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring Hybrid vehicles equipped with lithium-ion batteries made by Samsung SDI that have been known to catch fire.

According to the lawsuit, Ford has so far identified seven high-voltage battery failures and one vehicle fire suspected to stem from the lithium-ion batteries in the Escape Hybrid and Corsair Hybrid models at issue. The suit also mentions that Samsung has supplied the same batteries to Chrysler (FCA US) and Volkswagen, which have reported at least 24 vehicle fires supposedly stemming from the battery packs. 

The filing shares that Chrysler (FCA US) recalled more than 32,000 Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee hybrid-electric vehicles in November 2023, and certain Pacifica vehicles in February 2022 and again in July 2024, due to the lithium-ion battery fire risk, while Volkswagen recalled more than 4,600 Audi Q5 and A7 vehicles over the same problem in November 2024. Ford greenlit its own recall for the spontaneous fire risk in Escape and Corsair plug-in hybrids in December 2024, the case adds. 

In February 2025, Samsung SDI reportedly recalled more than 180,000 high-voltage hybrid vehicle battery packs due to the vehicle fire risk, noting that the batteries at issue were manufactured between July 2020 and March 2023 and supplied to Ford, FCA and Volkswagen. 

Per the suit, Ford has no fix yet for the alleged battery-related vehicle fire risk but claims a software update for the batteries is on the way. The case argues that this remedy is “cold comfort” for drivers given other hybrid-electric vehicles, including the Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler Pacifica, had to be recalled again after software updates failed to prevent additional fires stemming from their high-voltage lithium-ion batteries. 

“In both instances, it remains to be seen whether the revised software updates are effective at preventing fires,” the complaint states. 

While they wait for a purported remedy to the battery fire issue, Ford has directed drivers to stop charging their Escape Hybrid and Corsair Grand Touring Hybrid vehicles, effectively denying the consumers use of the premium hybrid-electric feature for which they paid, the case continues. At the same time, drivers are forced to buy gasoline while increasing their carbon footprint, the suit says, arguing that a plug-in hybrid vehicle that cannot be used in all-electric mode is “not fit for its ordinary purpose.” 

The class action lawsuit accuses Ford of possessing all the information it needed to “anticipate, test for, and prevent” the plug-in hybrid vehicle fire risk before the cars went to market. Instead, the suit says, the automaker “chose profits over safety” and sold and leased the Ford Escape Hybrid and Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring Hybrid models without disclosing the fire risk.

Proposed class members have incurred damages in the form of the thousands they paid for a plug-in hybrid vehicle they cannot use safely, the suit contends. 

The lithium-ion battery class action lawsuit looks to cover all individuals and entities who bought or leased one or more model year 2020–2024 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid or 2021–2024 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring Plug-in Hybrid vehicle.

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