maybe this could be related????? Ford: Ignition Design Is Safe DAVID KRAVETS
Associated Press Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- While Ford Motor Co. maintains that alleged defects in its ignition system in 20 million cars don't cause stalling or endanger passengers, a series of lawsuits nationwide blame stalling in various models for crashes in which at least 11 people died and 31 were injured. Also, internal Ford memos indicate the company was concerned that the ignition design could make engines stall _ resulting in ``rapid catastrophic failure'' _ at high temperatures. Most of the records examined by The Associated Press were produced by Ford as part of a California class-action suit. The lawsuit accuses the company of using a stall-prone ignition system in some models between 1983 to 1995, in part to save $2 per car in manufacturing costs. The judge overseeing the lawsuit has said Ford knew its design was defective and concealed the problem from federal regulators. Ford maintains there is no defect or safety issue, and says that cars can stall for any number of reasons. However, it is negotiating a settlement to the class-action suit that plaintiffs lawyers say could cost the company between $750 million and $1 billion. Alameda County Judge Michael Ballachey could rule as early as Monday on the proposal that would involve, among other things, reimbursing Ford owners nationwide who paid for ignition repairs. In the first detailed analysis of deaths and injuries blamed on stalling in Fords with the ignition devices, the AP examined 802 lawsuits filed in courthouses across the nation. Most were settled out of court with no acknowledgment of liability. The AP excluded all accidents that did not clearly involve stalling engines, as well as cases that involved other factors, such as reckless driving. Remaining were 23 accidents from Connecticut to California, among them four fatal crashes that left 11 dead. Some consumer advocates see shades here of the Ford Pinto debacle of the 1970s, in which 27 people died from exploding gas tanks in rear-end collisions. Ford recalled the Pinto after wrongful death lawsuits brought intense media scrutiny. ``What is quite clear in both instances, with the Pinto and ignition switches, you had a horrendous safety defect that was costing lives, and in both instances Ford knew about it and did nothing,'' said Clarence Ditlow, who heads the Center For Auto Safety in Washington, D.C. Ford representatives would not comment in detail about the internal memos and the lawsuits alleging stalling caused deaths and injuries. The Dearborn, Mich., automaker maintains its ignition modules are safe, citing repeated government investigations that resulted in no recalls. ``There's never been any proof of failure of this component,'' Ford attorney Richard Warmer said, a position Ford has held since the first stalling complaints surfaced in the 1980s. ``We stand behind our products,'' company spokeswoman Kathleen Vokes added in response to this story. She declined to comment in more detail, citing a gag order in the class-action case. No court other than Ballachey's has found the devices defective. Ford's settlements customarily prohibit injured parties from disclosing the amounts paid or releasing evidence. The proposed settlement in the class-action involves compensation for repairs and has no legal impact on the settled individual lawsuits involving deaths and injuries blamed on stalling Ford vehicles. The lawsuits the AP reviewed describe Ford engines stalling in fast-food driveways, on railroad tracks and on highways _ all without warning. Some stalled as soon as new owners left the dealers' lots. Several of the suits describe repeated vehicle repairs, some to the point of replacing the engine. When an engine stalls, power steering and brakes become less responsive, and vehicles unexpectedly lose speed. Some drivers were able to safely pull over. Others were rear-ended, blindsided or lost all control
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