Canadians take legal action against Ford/Firestone (June 11, 2001)

A Canadian class action lawsuit has been filed against auto manufacturer Ford and tire manufacturer Firestone for use of defective and unsafe products on Ford Explorer models. The action was initiated by Michelle Rambharos of Brampton following a vehicle accident involving her Ford 1995 Explorer which allegedly "flipped" after one of the tires burst, resulting in her injury.Ford and Firestone became embroiled in legal battles in the U.S. last year when a recall was issued for the Explorer due to defective tires installed. Ford and Firestone issued a recall of certain tires from the Canadian market in August of last year. This is believed to be the first legal action taken against the manufacturers in Canada. In a statement released by Rambharos’ lawyers, it is said that, "reports from around the world indicate that some 184 people have been killed and 700 injured in rollover crashes (accidents caused when the tires on the Ford Explorer suddenly fall apart)".Joel Rochon, one of the lawyers representing Rambharos, claims that Ford and Firestone had been aware for years that their products were unsafe and did not take action to prevent possible injuries to Canadian consumers. Furthermore, the action holds that the recall of last year was inadequate, and that there are other "unsafe tires" still out on the road. "We want to know what these executives [Ford and Firestone] knew, and when. We want the truth," says Rochon. The class action also calls for Ford to "refund" owners of Explorers for lost value on their vehicles as a result of the negative impact of the defective product recall.