A new class-action lawsuit accuses Ford of using its own software update to quietly kill the flat-tow capability it once told Lincoln Corsair buyers they had, after an earlier service bulletin warned that towing the SUV behind an RV could damage its powertrain. The suit, Rogge v. Ford Motor Co., was filed July 30, 2026, in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, case number 2:26-cv-08400.
What the Owner’s Manual Promised
The complaint centers on 2021 through 2025 Lincoln Corsair models, whose digital owner’s manuals told buyers the SUVs could be flat-towed, meaning pulled behind a motorhome with all four wheels on the ground and no dolly or trailer required, according to ClassAction.org’s coverage of the filing. That capability is a selling point for retirees and road-trippers who tow a second vehicle behind a larger RV, and the lawsuit claims Ford’s own marketing and pre-sale materials reinforced the promise.
Ford’s Own Warning Undercuts the Manual
In February 2025, Ford issued a corrective service campaign telling Corsair owners that, contrary to what the manual said, “the powertrain may be damaged should the flat-tow process be initiated,” per the lawsuit’s account of Ford’s own bulletin. Rather than repairing whatever mechanical issue made flat towing unsafe, Ford’s fix was a software update that removes the flat-tow function from the vehicle entirely, with no way for an owner to restore it afterward.
A Second Law Firm Is Already Circling
Ford’s decision to eliminate rather than repair the feature has drawn attention beyond the New Jersey filing. The law firm Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo says it is separately investigating claims on behalf of Corsair owners over the same lost capability, arguing that flat towing is “the gold standard for long-distance travelers” precisely because it lets a vehicle be towed “naturally and effortlessly behind an RV,” according to the firm’s own case summary.
What It Means for Owners
The Rogge suit seeks class-action status on behalf of Corsair owners and lessees who bought or leased their SUVs believing flat-tow capability came standard, a group the complaint frames around California purchasers and lessees specifically. For now, Ford has offered no compensation or workaround beyond the software update that strips the feature, leaving owners who relied on flat towing to find another way to move their Corsair behind an RV, whether that means a tow dolly, a trailer, or leaving the SUV at home.