Jury rules against Ford in Explorer Rollover case!

[Damn Yankee]

--->> CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY !!! <<---

 

[rustytr]

That could end up being a serious problem for Ford in the fact that firestone might also open up saying that Ford owes them for 13 million tires.

 

[CoryL]

That just means that people are going to be selling their Explorer's for cheap now. So all you guys that want a 91-94 for a build up are in good shape.

The real reason for rollovers in SUVs is directly proportional to the driving ability of the people operating them.

A glorified stationwagon (aka SUV) is NOT A SPORTS CAR. So don't drive it like one.

Just like I wouldn't take a GT500 through the Rubicon, I am not going to drive my Explorer like I am Nicolas Cage in Gone in 60 Seconds (actually my Explorer won't ever see the street, but you get the point).

 

[thefordmotorco]

Ford Motor Company CORRECTS Early News Reports

GOZUKARA V. FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Although early news reports suggested otherwise, no liability was found against Ford. Our defense presented the fact that this accident was not caused by any defect in the Explorer. The jurors agreed. The jurors ruled that the Explorer did not cause plaintiff's injuries or damages. So Ford Motor Company is no longer part of this case. This is consistent with the results in the two previous Explorer cases that have gone to verdict. Three juries have now exonerated the Explorer.

Our sympathies go out to the Gozukara family, but this was an unfortunate accident. The evidence showed that the Explorer rode up a concrete barrier at highway speeds and almost immediately rolled over – as any other comparable vehicle would have done in the circumstances. In addition, neither the driver nor the passenger was wearing a seat belt.

In order to reach a verdict in a case the jury must first complete a verdict form, which includes a series of questions about the responsibility, if any, of each party, including the plaintiff. While the jury on one question returned an unspecified finding of a defect in the vehicle, they rejected the plaintiff's claims against Ford. The jury found instead that the vehicle had no role whatsoever in the accident or injuries.

The jury found that a faulty repair by a repair shop caused the accident and the injuries. The damage portion of the trial continues next week against the repair facility. Ford Motor Company is absolved of all responsibility for this accident and faces no liability.

More than 10 years of data prove that the Explorer is a safe vehicle. National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) data verify that the Explorer is one of the safest vehicles on the road. In all accident types, the Explorer is 27 percent safer than passenger cars, and is 19 percent safer than other compact SUVs in a rollover accident.

Official Ford Motor Company Statement (Dead Link Removed)

 

[bigDerk]

Originally posted by CoryL
That just means that people are going to be selling their Explorer's for cheap now. So all you guys that want a 91-94 for a build up are in good shape.

And it also means that those of us with a 91-94 we don't plan to keep are just screwed, but that's nothing new since the Firestone circus started. :fire:

 

[Stephen S]

I'm glad to hear that Ford and the Explorer were not found to be at fault. I believed from day one and still believe today that the problems with the rollovers are linked to the faulty tires and driver error. I've had a rear tire blowout before (not in my Explorer, but in a pick-up truck) and the truck didn't act strange or pull, and I was able to stop it safely. Now those characteristics may change mind you, when the tire tread leaves the tire and wraps itself around the axle or something. The driver panics, runs off the road and rolls. Another thing, how many Explorers equipped with tires other than Firestones have experienced the same type of tire tread separation?? I've never heard that figure ever mentioned. Maybe because it doesn't happen? If the Explorer's design is at fault for the tread separation, then any brand tire mounted on the truck should experience the same fate as the Firestones. I don't believe that the Explorer's design is faulty.

 

[pd rd]

I glad to see that fmc was not found liable. a couple of years ago they showed some old tapes showing tests of cars hitting the center dividers found on most freeways. it was actually pretty cool. they would take a car and run it at different speeds and angles into the center divider and study the results. the point was to test the dividers but it could provide an intersting view from the other side, if i remember correctly most if not all the cars flipped when certain speeds were reached.--most at really low speeds and these were definately not suvs. i think it was Caltrans or dot that shot the videos in CA i think in the 50's or 60's. for the life of me i cant remember when i saw this.

 

[NoBoundaries]

Here is a working link to the statement above: Dead Link Removed

Thanks.

There is currently a thread established in the Ford Industry News Forum: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=302692#post302692

 

[JatZilla]

I believe the suspension on the pre-'01 explorers is seriously compromised, some years being worse than others. The firestone tires didn't help either.

 

[jjue]

I'm pretty sure that most of the rollover cases are due to lack of driver ability. After running off the road into a ditch, crossing the road into the ditch on the other side of the road, running up the hill, back down the hill into the ditch, and back onto the road all in a matter of about 10 seconds or less without rolling over, I would definitely say that the Mountaineer is a stable vehicle. The amazing thing that it even throw off the alignment. However, I did learn that I don't need to run with a slick tire on an axle with limited slip on a muddle dirt road during a downpour. Can we all say "Built Ford Tough?"

 

[Damn Yankee]

FYI! Take note of the parts in BOLD type!

The Associated Press


BARSTOW, Calif. (February 1, 2002 10:05 p.m. EST) - A jury has cleared Ford Motor Co. of responsibility for a 1997 accident that left a woman paralyzed.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged design defects in the 1994 Ford Explorer caused the vehicle to suddenly veer out of control as the couple and their children drove on a highway here in May 1997.

The accident paralyzed Catherine Gozukara and crushed her husband's leg. Gozukara was also pregnant at the time and lost her child because of her injuries, according to the lawsuit.

After a three-month trial, the Superior Court jury agreed there was a "defect in the design" of the Explorer, but found that the defect was not the cause of the Gozukaras' injuries.

Instead, the jury found that an Orange County Ford dealership was mostly liable for failing to make proper repairs after the couple complained that the sport utility vehicle has unusual vibrations, shaking and braking problems.

The jury also found that Gozukara was slightly responsible for her injuries because she was not wearing a seat belt.

The jury will convene next week to decide how much the dealership should pay in damages.

This trial did not involve claims that the vehicle's tires caused the accident. Previous cases involving Explorer rollover accidents blamed Firestone tires which have since been recalled.

"The jury did find the vehicle was defective in design because of its propensity to roll over," said Garo Mardirossian, an attorney representing the Gozukaras. But "they found the defect in the vehicle did not cause injury to the plaintiffs in this accident."

Ford called the accident unfortunate and expressed sympathy for the family.

But the automaker also said: "The evidence showed that the Explorer rode up a concrete barrier at highway speeds and almost immediately rolled over - as any other comparable vehicle would have done in the circumstances."

 

[mmsdrummer]

Firestone tires are ok, the Ford Explorer is ok. Dumb people who try to make a softer ride will let some air out of their tires and then they will flex and heat up and the tread will fly off at highway speeds. Or worse yet they will not even check their air pressure for long periods of time. Then they need to blame someone, so it might as well be someone other than them.

 

[Damn Yankee]

Firestone tires are ok, the Ford Explorer is ok.

Holy **** DUDE!! No disrepect, but you REALLY need to educate yourself to the topic at hand!!

The Firestone tires in question are an Engineering NIGHTMARE!!

I'm becoming to believe that the Explorer's design defects are a FORD Managment NIGHTMARE about to come Reality!!

Dumb people who try to make a softer ride will let some air out of their tires and then they will flex and heat up and the tread will fly off at highway speeds.

That is EXACTLY what the FORD "Upper Crust" recommended to help with the Rollover problem!!

The FORD Upper Crust chose to recommend lowering the tire pressures to 26psi -Vs- 35 psi recommended by Firestone!

The Upper Crust made this brilliant decision to lower the tires air pressure AGAINST the Urging of their OWN Engineers!!!!

We ALL know the results of what happened next.... :fire:

Don't believe me ??

Read the FACTS for yourself on the URL I posted below:

http://www.citizen.org/documents/rootcause.pdf

 

[mmsdrummer]

I have driven the ATX's for many years on different vehicles and have had about every tire failure possible, except for the one that they always describe where the tread will come off. Because of this, I believe that either poor maintance or vehicle neglect has caused some (not all) of these accidents. Although I was not aware that Ford actually reccommended that they lower the tire pressure to fix the problem.

 

[Damn Yankee]

Although I was not aware that Ford actually reccommended that they lower the tire pressure to fix the problem.

Yea, NOT a real smart decision of the Ford Upper Crust.

Did you read the full article ? Pretty compelling evidence I'd say....

 

[diablo5969]

Originally posted by Stephen S
Another thing, how many Explorers equipped with tires other than Firestones have experienced the same type of tire tread separation?? I've never heard that figure ever mentioned. Maybe because it doesn't happen? If the Explorer's design is at fault for the tread separation, then any brand tire mounted on the truck should experience the same fate as the Firestones.

One of my friends did a high school math project on this last year. He found that in a certain period of time (I can't remember exactly how long) there were about 178 Firestone rollovers compared to 2 Goodyear rollovers