Ford to Settle Explorer Rollover Cases

Ford agreed today to settle a group of 4 class-action lawsuits covering covering plaintiffs who say their Explorer SUVs were prone to rollovers.

The settlement applies to around 1,000,000 people in 4 states (CA, CO, IL and TX), said attorney Kevin P. Roddy of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer.

If a judge gives preliminary approval to the settlement, consumers who owned the Explorers in question (model years 1991 through 2001) will be able to apply for either $500 vouchers to buy new Explorers or $300 vouchers to buy other Ford or Lincoln Mercury products. A website and toll-free number will be announced, and Explorer owners affected by the settlement will be notified by via postal mail.

Furthermore, the settlement would also require Ford to both give out information about SUV rollover dangers and tone down the safety claims in its advertising.

A final approval for the settlement is tentatively planned for April.