An investigative report from Chicago news station CBS2 looks at how Navistar engine problems are reportedly affecting small businesses.
The report looks into accusations that Navistar’s MaxxForce 7 engine is causing costly repairs and business disruptions for trucking and school bus companies.
The report features Kip McDowell of trucking company Williams National Lease, who claims that his business lost millions because of Navistar engine defects. “There was an inherent flaw in their design and it would just get worse and worse and worse,” McDowell told CBS2. McDowell says that he had had dozens of truck drivers quit over the breakdowns caused by Navistar engine problems.
McDowell’s family is one of dozens of plaintiffs who have entered into a lawsuit against Navistar in the state of Illinois.
Last year, a Tennessee jury unanimously sided with trucking company Milan Supply Chain Solutions in their lawsuit against Navistar, agreeing with the company’s claims that Navistar was dishonest with them when it sold them 243 International Prostar trucks with defective MaxxForce 13 engines. During the trial, Former Senior Vice-President of North American Sales Jim Hebe testified that Navistar “did not test s#@t“, explaining that Navistar failed to follow industry standards and never tested the final version of the engine before selling it to customers.
The jury found that Navistar had committed fraud and was in violation of consumer protection laws. The jury awarded Milan Supply Chain Solutions $10.8 in actual damages and $20 million in punitive damages.
Navistar is appealing the verdict.