Ford Motor Co. has been cleared in a class-action lawsuit revolving around the hardware required to attach a license plate to the front of car. Ted Strauss of Texas filed suit against the automaker after he received a $155 fine for not having a front plate on his 2002 Jaguar X-Type. Strauss sued not only Ford but also D & M Leasing, Co. claiming the two had violated Texas state motor vehicle and consumer protection laws, breached implied warranties and were negligent. While Texas is a state that requires motorists to display front license plates, U.S. District Chief Judge A. Joe Fish ruled that Ford and the leasing company had no legal duty to display front license plates, or rear ones for that matter, when a car is sold. We know the frustration Strauss must feel, as many of us live in states that require both front and rear plates. The precedent has been set, though, and by law we're all responsible now for affixing our own plates. [Source: Automotive News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ruggels @ Aug 11th 2006 12:04PM
I'm curious how many other people (aside from myself) are driving without front plates in a state which requires them, have never been ticketed, and have only ever heard of acquaintances being ticketed for lacking plates when being stopped for other offenses. Heck one of my friends is running around with no front plate and a German plate in the back and hasn't been ticketed for the last few months.
Edsel @ Aug 11th 2006 12:08PM
I'm figuring Ted is a lawyer and is representing himself. What's the ditty about lawyers, fools, and self representation?
Lithous @ Aug 11th 2006 12:09PM
I think the automakers are responsible for have a way to put the tags on both front and back and it is the dealers responsibility to make sure it is attached when you leave if it is required. Maybe this isn't technically the answer (the driver is ultimately responsible by law and that's why the driver got the ticket) but it sure is how it should be done IMO.
Peter @ Aug 11th 2006 12:09PM
So he brings a lawsuit over a $155 fine. This, boys and girls, is a perfect illustration of the old expression "It's not the money, it's the principle of the thing" :)
KT @ Aug 11th 2006 12:14PM
What a dolt. How is the automaker responsible for putting your plates on? This is why the products you buy get more and more expensive. The makers must pay lawyers to defend them in ludicrous lawsuits such as this.
Ken @ Aug 11th 2006 12:17PM
3. So he brings a lawsuit over a $155 fine. This, boys and girls, is a perfect illustration of the old expression "It's not the money, it's the principle of the thing" :)
No, this is a perfect example of: 1. too many lawyers in this country! 2. No one wanting to take responsibility for their own actions, or lack of!
There should be a law that all lawyers be required to drive Ford Explorers with Firestone Wilderness tires. And for all lawyers who say that they're not appreciated until you need one, well geez, ever wonder WHY we need one?
mainfr4me @ Aug 11th 2006 12:19PM
Annoy's me to do so because I like the clean lines of my car without the plate and holder up front. In fact, it means I have to drill into somewhere to get that mounted up front (but there are also cable ties...)
What I've been doing now for a while is have the front plate under my drivers seat so if I get pulled over, I can produce it on demand for the officer.
jstand6 @ Aug 11th 2006 12:20PM
I do think the manufacturers need to be a bit more considerate about states that require front plates. On my 2006 Mazda MX-5, the front plate bracket is installed by DRILLING two holes into the front bumper cover and securing the bracket with pop rivets. This is becoming more and more common, and is becoming an issue as more styling features are integrated into the bumper covers.
Needless to say, I don't have a front license plate installed. I've been ticketed twice before in two previous vehicles. I'm surprised I haven't been pulled over yet.
The local Mazda dealerships are not installing the front plate brackets unless the customer specifically requests it. However, they are making buyers sign an acknowledgement and agreement that they won't hold the dealership liable for any resulting fines.
Presto @ Aug 11th 2006 12:20PM
I'm sure "some" thought went through his head when he got the 2 plates in the mail and thought, "I guess I'll just use one." Had he been proactive, he could have gone to the dealership and got the brackets for the front. It's a used car, it was missing a bracket and a couple of screws. This guy must be a lawyer at his day job. This is stupid. And I still can't get over "lawyer fees" vs. "$155 ticket"
Richard Warren @ Aug 11th 2006 12:24PM
The car maker does not have to do dick (and that's what they judge basically said). Read your state requirements and many state "The registered owner must display license plate on the front and rear of the vehicle"
It's your responsibility, not the manufacturer.
Waste of money, waste of time, waste of court time.
JayP @ Aug 11th 2006 12:31PM
Going over 10 years in TX without front plates... stopped once and was given a warning.
Zip ties, man.
Dude @ Aug 11th 2006 12:32PM
Awwww, you're going to have to put on your license by yourself now. That's too bad. What a concept - responsibility. He was buying an X-Type too hehehe.
Richard Warren @ Aug 11th 2006 12:32PM
"What I've been doing now for a while is have the front plate under my drivers seat so if I get pulled over, I can produce it on demand for the officer."
And if you think that old ploy will work, think again.
Look, if we don't want front plates, (they do look sucky) lets stop sitting on our butts and contact our elected officials and demand a change. After all, we not them are the government. If they don't like it, vote them out.
Jim in Tampa @ Aug 11th 2006 12:48PM
Okay, I hope that the plaintiff is responsible for reimbursing Ford for their legal expenses.
Leo @ Aug 11th 2006 12:53PM
Next we'll read that GM is leaving out the accelerator pedal (cost saving move). It will be upheld by a judge who will state that there's no impied contract that the vehicle was intended to actually go anywhere.
I hate sue-happy people as much as anybody, but where is the customer service ethic in a dealer and lease company that operate in a state that requires front plates and don't provide the hardware?
chuck goolsbee @ Aug 11th 2006 12:57PM
I read once that in Washington State, the DOL has specifically exempted two cars, namely the Jaguar E-type and the Ferrari F40, from having to display a front plate. Anyone who has ever seen one of these two cars knows why. Of course these two probably represent less than 100 cars on the road in Washington. That said, I wonder about some other, more common cars that lack the facility for mounting a front plate, specifically the Pontiac Solstice. I wonder whet the process is for nominating a car for an exception?
Howard Kerr @ Aug 11th 2006 1:03PM
Having lived in Tx. and currently in Tn. I don't get why Tx. has the requirement for TWO plates...but there are never stickers on the Tx. plates I see on cars and trucks here telling anyone WHEN the plate expires.
Tn. has considered going to a front plate. WHY? They want to be able to charge you $5 to $10 more to register your car each year at a cost to the state of about $2 for the plate itself.
Who does this guy sue when his tail lights burn out? Or when his brake lights burn out and he is rear ended?
As other posters here said: PERSONAL responsibility.
verdegrrl @ Aug 11th 2006 1:36PM
When I sold cars, we used to have a lot of people try to make it a condition of the deal to not drill the front bumper. Customers we liked, usually got their wish. Customers who were a pain in the ass, got their bumper drilled. Sometimes on a dealer trade we didn't have a choice if another dealer had already drilled the car. If course in California you get a temporary registration that gets taped in the window of the car, and so the plate holders are useless until the plates arrive in the mail - I know that in some states they issue plates on the spot. We would usually leave the front plate holder off the car, put it in the trunk, and invite the owner to come back at any time to have the holder installed.
Suing over this just shows a total lack of personal responsibility to know the law and choose to abide by it.
One reason many states like front plates beyond the immediate obvious one, is that with various cameras being used for automated fine collecting (obviously not law enforcement since that requires being confronted by your accuser), the front plate makes it that much easier to track down your car.
Ryan @ Aug 11th 2006 1:39PM
I'm a little bid confused....
When I purchased my 2004 Mazda 3 brand new, I'm not sure if you guys are familiar with the front end, but it's basically one big ball of plastic, and where a front license plate should go, there is nothing, no screw holes no nothing. I contact the dealer a couple days after getting my plates and they said it would be $150.00 for a front license plate installation kit?! I have been risking it since I don't like how it looks anyway.
But what I'm asking is It looks like the car was *never* designed to have a front plate and is that legal (apparently so) for the manufacturer to design and produce a car that has no "standard" front license plate holder and then sell it in a state that requires it?
Dave @ Aug 11th 2006 1:43PM
I recently purchased an Audi A4, and really with a license plate up front would make it look like it had buck teeth. I live in TX and know it's a law to mount one. I've decided to go against it due to the fact I rarely drive. I do feel if I was pulled over for this offense I would get a warning the first time. I guess that's just a hope.