Ford Australia was fined and ordered to pay $3 million in damages.
The Ford Mustang was a vehicle that was largely confined to North America for the majority of its lifespan. The current-generation Mustang has many features and equipment variations that you will find in different markets. Some key differences were not clearly communicated to Mustangbuyers in Australia. This oversight has led to Ford paying a large bill.
The issue does not relate to the car. It is a brochure about the upgraded pony car, which allegedly had features that are not available to models sold in Australia. Drive states that Ford Australia brochures claimed the Mach 1 featured adaptive cruise control, ambient lighting inside the door pockets, LED fog light, Mach 1 floor mats and rear parking sensors. These items seem to be missing from Australia’s Mach 1 and Ford Australia is quoted in the report as apologizing profusely.
The automaker offered Mach 1 customers a host of additional, including free scheduled maintenance for three years and a track day. The automaker offered a $5,400AUD ($4,000 USD), refund per vehicle or the option for buyers to return the car to get a full refund. There were only 700 Mustang Mach 1s available in Australia. The total compensation plan for Ford Australia is approximately $4.5 million AUD. This currently translates into $3.2 in US dollars.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), meanwhile, imposed a $53,280AUD ($38.240 USD) fine on the automaker for misleading customers about Mach 1 features in four versions of the brochure. Yes, there were four versions before the final record was set.
It is not clear why there are differences between Australian-market Mach 1s and US Mach 1. We suspect that those who already have one will keep it, despite the fact that there are only 700 of them available for purchase.