Ford settling class-action lawsuits related to rollovers
FoMoCo is on the brink of settling a class-action lawsuit brought by owners claiming that Ford's Explorer was prone to rolling over. The settlement covers approximately one million people in California, Connecticut, Illinois and Texas who've owned 1991 through 2001 Explorers.Ford's spokesperson, Kristen Kinley, believes that "the settlement is fair and reasonable," but declined to given an estimate of how much Ford would be shilling out to slighted owners. However, vouchers are expected to be issued to owners in the four states that would allow them to put $500 towards a new Explorer or $300 for another Ford, Lincoln or Mercury product.
[Source: Detroit News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
graviton 8:12AM (11/29/2007)
Wow I'm sure Ford has learned there lesson from this ruling. You get $500 if you are willing to buy another rolling death trap or $300 if you want to buy some other piece of sh*t. Either way Ford sells another car. I hardly see how this is punishment.
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Hamud 8:18AM (11/29/2007)
The current Explorer doesn't have the same problem. Most products in Ford's lineup are on par quality wise with any other product from any other manufacturer, so I don't see your point.
Jared 8:20AM (11/29/2007)
The problem wasn't the Explorer. The problem was 1) bad tires and 2) idiots driving very fast in hot weather with under-inflated tires.
compy386 8:20AM (11/29/2007)
Because according to NHTSA it wasn't Ford's fault...
mark_welby 9:03AM (11/29/2007)
How about placing some of the blame on the non-maintaining assholes with no common sense or driving ability?
k.w.a 9:03AM (11/29/2007)
it was both Ford and Firestone's fault. As much as it was Chevrolet's and other SUVs that were not compatible with the tires. Ford just got the rap for it because at the time, Explorers were the most popular SUVs and the people deserved to know.
And yes, I agree, poor judgement from the drivers was also a large factor; but automobiles, especially SUVs and especially in AMERICA (im American too so don't get offended) need to be a little more "Idiot-proof." All in all even though Ford and Firestone lost tons of money i think the whole debacle caused a major turning point in automotive safety, which is a very good thing.
Pete 9:04AM (11/29/2007)
NHTSA actually said this? Please link me!
blogged to death 10:13AM (11/29/2007)
What about Ford's request to dealers to inflate tires to 26psi (the lowest recommendation on the tire - but Firestone suggested 35psi) - this was by far the biggest contributor to the premature wear and excess heat causing the tread seperation? Ford also had a big hand in the design and cost of the Firestone Wilderness ATX tires they put on the Explorer. The intent was to get the highest MPG in their SUV - so both designed an economy car tire for a 4,500lb SUV. Ford wanted to pay so little for it that Firestone gave them what they paid for. The cheapest tire they could make money on.
Fact is the Explorer had a stability problem b/c they too quickly converted a Pickup to an SUV without proper testing. In fact the early models had a major stability problem b/c of the much higher center of gravity. In Venezuela Ford recalled the Explorer (same exact configuration as in the US) to revise the rear suspension more towards the Australian spec all b/c of rollover problems. Ford didn't do it in the US b/c there were millions of Explorers on the road. Then add to the market strategy to sell to families and soccer moms who wanted to an image of being outdoorsy. The safety labels that Ford put on the Explorer to boot.
To read more check out this Website. There is a list of leaked confidential internal Ford memos from former engineers. http://www.fordexplorerrollover.com/history/Default.cfm
John R 8:33AM (11/29/2007)
I just wish people wouldn't drive SUVs (regardless of make) like they're cars. If idiots could do that we wouldn't still be reading about this fiasco.
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Hamud 8:54AM (11/29/2007)
Guess sometimes people just don't realize that an SUV, no matter how many electronic stability gadgets it has, will never behave as a car. Then they expect to make a sudden turn and the vehicle just take it like a breeze...
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nezromatron 9:04AM (11/29/2007)
This is a TERRIBLE 'settlement'. It amounts to nothing more than an incentive to buy another car.
Proof again that the only people that benefit from a class action law suit are the lawyers, and in this case the defendant as well.
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Jim Pease 10:35AM (11/29/2007)
I agree.
Bryan 9:18AM (11/29/2007)
Yeah, because people shouldn't have to know how to drive. it must be Ford's fault.
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John P. 9:13AM (11/29/2007)
I'm so glad it didn't end up worse for Ford. This whole thing smelled of sleazy lawyer money grab to me.
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Gregg 9:41AM (11/29/2007)
Yes, to some extent you can "idiot-proof" stuff, but in the end, idiots will prevail. All of the things being done to make driving safer (e.g., stability control, adaptive cruise control, emergency brake assist, lighted lane markings, etc.) are great for those who think and have some level of driving skill. But every day, I see idiots driving too fast for conditions, being cautious when they don't need to be, and foolhardy when caution is actually called for. Mandated safety measures may protect some from themselves, but many will just step up their foolhardy, empty-headed risk-taking.
The Explorer was no worse than any other contemporary SUV. Lots of people bought them thinking sitting up high was "safer," and that 4WD allowed them to blithely sail along when lesser vehicles were slowing down for the conditions.
It is just sad how unskilled and oblivious American drivers are, even while assessing themselves as good drivers. Our money grubbing litigiousness just adds another insult.
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Mal Fuller 9:43AM (11/29/2007)
Ford was a definite contributor to this problem, which, of course is why they're throwing owners and former owners a bone. Ford tried to improve handling by suggesting a tire pressure of 26PSI which was a factor in the tire failures. It was a classic example of what happens when two substandard products are combined.
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Mike 10:09AM (11/29/2007)
There were millions of Explorers out there that were properly maintained with a tire pressure of 26 psi that had no problems- I had three of them. Sure, if there was a couple more psi to start with, you could have waited another few days or a couple weeks before filling your tires, but are you going to sit there and tell me that the same idiot who didn't air up at least once a month would have done so in time to make a 4 psi difference matter?
It was well documented (by car and driver I think) that blowing the tires out on the Explorer at above legal limits did not cause rollover. Sudden, stupid, knee-jerk reactions caused that. Those same reactions made by people who didn't safely maintain their vehicles.
So we have a corporation who built a vehicle that had a high center of gravity and put on tires that they assumed were good (the same tires were used by almost every other SUV manufacturer at the time such as GM and Toyota). The requisite warnings (on the visor, in the owners manual) about how SUVs behave at speed were ignored, maintainance was ignored, and somehow it's all Ford's fault.
The problem in this country is that everyone refuses to accept fault for their actions. It's always someone elses' fault and we can sue them for it.
blogged to death 10:24AM (11/29/2007)
You maintained your tire pressures - being smart. However 90% of Explorer owners do not check them routinely. And at 26psi you create more heat in the sidewalls - especially when inexperienced drivers tool around as if they are Mario Andretti with an SUV = invincibility mentality.
At 26psi - you have 0 margin for error (once it develops a slow leak and loses pressure - more heat builds up and more dangerous they are). If at 35psi - the tires would have had a much larger margin of error between oil changes (which is where most owners get their tire pressures checked and adjusted).
Mal Fuller 10:32AM (11/29/2007)
I wonder why stupid, knee-jerk drivers overwhelmingly chose to buy Ford Explorers instead of making a different choice in vehicles. It was the Explorers that were popping tires and rolling over in numbers not matched by any other SUV.
Mike 11:46AM (11/29/2007)
They popped tires in numbers unmatched because there were unmatched numbers of them on the road.
The Explorer outsold all other SUVs by a huge margin back then.