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Ford Explorer owners $500 vouchers
SACRAMENTO, CA – Consumer groups and some Ford Explorer owners are upset over a deal that Ford Motor Company struck with attorneys in a class action lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of approximately 800,000 Ford Explorer owners in California, Illinois, Texas and Connecticut. They claimed the trade-in and resale value of their Explorers dropped dramatically due to reports of rollover accidents.
Ford admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement but agreed to alert customers on how to reduce rollover risks.
Under a deal approved Tuesday by Sacramento Superior Court Judge David De Alba, Ford Motor Co. will give customers who bought Explorers in model years 1991 through 2001 $500 vouchers to buy new Explorers or $300 vouchers to buy other Ford vehicles. The coupons must be used within a year.
„It's kind of like that joke,“ said Stephen Webber, an Explorer owner from Glendale. „Somebody did something and all I got was this lousy t-shirt. Well they get $25 million, all I get is this lousy coupon which I'm not going to use.“
Rosemary Shahan, the President of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety called the decision, „unfortunate.“ She said it doesn't send a good message to consumers.
Jeff Weinstein, who owned a 1998 Ford Explorer traveled to Sacramento from Texas to have his day in court. He told Judge De Alba that the deal was a „sellout,“ and that „consumers are getting nothing.“
Weinstein said he has no need for a new Explorer or any other new vehicle in the next year. „Give me a check for 10 bucks, just give me a check, or give me something that has value. Don't make me buy a $30,000 car to give me any value.“
But the attorneys for the plaintiffs defended the deal. „It's easy to come in here on the final day and criticize a settlement,“ said attorney Tracey Buck-Walsh.
She argued that the coupons do have value and said, „We would have loved to have obtained money from Ford Motor Company, but if you look in the newspaper Ford is hemorrhaging money. It simply wasn't an option in this case.“
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Don't you love it when a
Don't you love it when a few attorneys can decide what is best for you? A truck rolls over and people are worried about resale value!! This is just so ridiculous its funny. That is unless you own one and it rolls over.
Chris
That was a big rip off! Who
That was a big rip off! Who in the world needs a $500 or $300 voucher when cold cash would help a whole lot better! I would probably never own another Ford Explorer if that had been me. Maybe not even another Ford, even if they are my favorite make of car.
I think I need to agree
I think I need to agree with katie here, I would be FUMING mad if something like that happened. Just think if you went in to trade yours off and ended up losing thousands, what the good is a 500 coupon going to do then when you really need cash not some piece of paper.