Ever wondered why the McDonald’s McFlurry machine is broken every time you’re in the drive-thru? So, apparently, has the FTC, and it’s taking legal action, according to the Wall Street Journal.

• Seriously, this is a real news story: The FTC contacted franchises across the country, asking why the ice cream machines are always broken. People have pondered this question for years, making McDonald's the butt of late-night TV jokes and even conspiracy theories.

• But franchise owners aren’t laughing: They believe the machines, sent to them by corporate McDonald’s and designed by the manufacturer Taylor Commercial Foodservice LLC, are too prone to damage and too complicated to fix. They get hurt financially when machines are broken.

Why this matters to the FTC

The FTC has been looking into various types of products to see whether they are manufactured in a way that makes them too complicated or too easy to break, thus leading the purchasers of the products to spend money on repairs from the manufacturer. 

The Verdict

So far this is just a preliminary investigation. In the letters from the FTC obtained by the Wall Street Journal, the organization said there was no conclusion about any wrongdoing from McDonald’s, Taylor or any company yet.