WASHINGTON (Reuter) - Ford Motor Co. faces numerous class action lawsuits in the United States seeking to force the automaker to replace faulty ignition switches on 26 million cars and trucks, plaintiffs' lawyers said Thursday.
*The suits alleged that the switches on cars and trucks made between 1983-1993 were "dangerous'' and had a latent design defect that could cause them to short circuit, resulting in smoke and fire, the lawyers said.
They said in a statement that Ford two months ago recalled 250,000 vehicles in Canada with identical switches, but would not extend the recall campaign to the United States.
"We're filing these class action suits because Ford refuses to fix the problem or to tell the American public -- as Ford has already told the Canadian public -- that these vehicles, under certain conditions, have a 'potential for fire in the steering column area,''' the lawyers said.
Ford's stock fell 50 cents to $29.375 on the New York Stock Exchange, where it was among the most active issues.
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