February 9, 1996

Contact: Ralph Hoar and Associates
E-Mail: rha@safetyforum.com
703/841-8384

POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD

FORD SUED TO REPLACE 26 MILLION IGNITION SWITCHES

According to Ralph Hoar, an Arlington, Virginia vehicle safety consultant, numerous class action suits have been filed throughout the United States in an attempt to force Ford Motor Company to replace ignition switches on 26 million cars and trucks manufactured between 1983 and 1993. The suits allege that 26 million Ford vehicles are equipped with an ignition switch that is "dangerous and [has a] latent design defect that can cause the switch to short circuit, resulting in smoke and fire."

The ignition switches at issue are identical to switches on 250,000 vehicles that Ford recalled in a Canadian safety campaign more than two months ago.

Ford has declined to conduct such a campaign in the U.S.

Plaintiffs' counsel issued the following statement: "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.'" Counsel for plaintiffs include Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach, LLP of New York and California; Schiffrin & Craig of Illinois, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Robert Waltman & Associates of Texas; Hogan, Smith & Alspaugh of Alabama and Tab Turner of Arkansas.

Ford has previously attempted to dismiss this potential safety hazard to motorists by claiming that "smoke and the smell of molten plastic would, of course, provide a warning of potential fire."

Ford redesigned the switch and began installing the redesigned switch on some cars as early as 1991. In the redesigned switch, Ford moved the "ground" terminal an increased distance from the "hot" battery terminal, but did not recall older versions of these vehicles. Ford is installing the redesigned switch on vehicles already recalled in Canada. The retail cost of the switch and installation is less than $90.

The Canadian recall is limited to:

1989-1990 Escort 1989-1991 Mustang 1990-1991 Thunderbird and Cougar
1988-1989 Crown Victoria 1988-1989 Grand Marquis 1989 Lincoln Town Car
1989-1991 Aerostar 1990 Bronco and F-Series trucks



Ford has told U.S. and Canadian officials that switches identical to those on cars recalled in Canada are on:
1986-1991 Aerostar 1983-1991 Bronco 1983-1991 Bronco II
1983-1986 Capri 1983-1987 Continental 1983-1993 Cougar
1983-1989 Crown Victoria 1983-1990 Escort 1983-1993 E-Series
1983-1988 EXP 1991-1993 Explorer 1983-1991 F-Series
1983-1989 Grand Marquis 1983-1987 LN7 1983-1986 LTD
1983-1987 Lynx 1983-1991 Mark 1983-1993 Mustang
1983-1993 Ranger 1984-1993 Tempo 1983-1993 Thunderbird
1984-1993 Topaz

A Web Site will be established on the World Wide Web to gather reports of ignition switch failures and fires. Until the Web Site is established, the E-mail address is rha@safetyforum.com.


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