Resources and Articles

Ford Pushes to Keep Roof Crush/Rollover info From the Public
Detroit News -

Ford has consistently sought in Court to keep the public from learning about its knowledge of the inadequacies of its roof designs for its SUV and truck products. It has been alleged in numerous lawsuits that Ford's roof design allows an unacceptable roof crush when a Ford SUV or truck rollover can cause significant injury or death.

Auto Manufactures Do Not Test Roof Cruch and Roof Collapse For Real World Conditions
Detroit News -

Ford Motor Company, General Motors and other manufacturers are facing lawsuits alleging injuries and deaths were caused by roof crush and roof collapse during rollovers, most notably SUV rollovers. Vehicles, which have been subject tolawsuits, include the Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition, Ford F150, Ford Escape, Chevrolet Suburban, and Chevrolet Blazer. In addition, foreign manufacturers such as Nissan and Toyota have had lawsuits relating to SUV rollovers, roof crush, and roof collapse brought as they relate to the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota 4-runner.

Stronger Roofs Save Lives
Detroit News -

When Volvo engineers were designing the XC90 SUV, safety during rollovers was of upmost importance. The XC90 is an SUV of similar size and structure to the Ford Explorer and Ford Expedition. Ford Motor Company has taken the position that in SUV or truck rollover and roof crush lawsuits involving the Ford Explorer, Ford F150 pickup, Ford Escape, and Ford Expedition that stronger roofs do not have any connection to injury reduction.

08/20/05 - Auto Rollover Rules Proposed
LA Times -

U.S. highway safety officials proposed new rules Friday to reduce deaths and injuries from roof failures when vehicles flip over, extending the standards to cover large sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks.

08/18/05 - Safety Officials May Propose Stronger Roofs On Automobiles
USA Today -

Safety regulators may propose a rule that will require automakers to increase the amount of weight a roof can withstand. Safety advocates do not believe the increase from 1.5 times the vehicle's weight to 2.5 times is enough.

05/10/05 - Trial Evidence Shows Correlation Between Roof Strength & Injury
Detroit News -

Ford Motor Co. is battling to seal documents that suggest a stronger roof can better protect passengers involved in a rollover crash. The documents were used as evidence during a FL trial in which plaintiffs won a $10.2 million verdict against Ford. The lawyers involved in the case contend that the documents are public information and Ford's request to seal the documents violates state law.

05/04/05 - NHTSA Takes Ford's Internal Safety Documents Off Website
LA Times -

Ford Motor Co. requested that the NHTSA remove documents off a government website that depict a conflict between Ford and Volvo. The two automakers have clashed over the importance of having a stronger roof on their passenger vehicles. A spokesman for the NHTSA said the documents' removal might only be temporary.

The Public Should Walk Away From Rollover Crashes-- But Few Do
Public Citizen -

Rollovers account for one-third of occupant fatalities and one-fourth of all auto-related fatalities annually. Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data reveal that 10,149 people were killed in rollover crashes in light vehicles in 1999 - one-third of all vehicle occupant fatalities for that year.

04/28/05 - GAO Report Confirms That Government Crash Test Program Is Out of Date
Public Citizen -

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released today underscores what many of us know: that the government's innovative crash test program is out of date and needs to be revamped and updated.

Opportunities Exist to Enhance NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program
04/28/05 - GAO -

GAO recommends that NHTSA examine the direction of the New Car Assessment Program to ensure that it maintains its relevance in improving vehicle safety, including identifying tests that best address the fatalities occurring on the nation's roads. GAO also recommends that NHTSA enhance the presentation and timeliness of the information provided to the public.

03/31/05 - New Data Raises Questions About Ford Explorer's Safety
The New York Times -

Public Citizen released a study that accuses Ford Motor Co. of ignoring a serious problem with the Explorer's roof. The study shows that a stronger roof on the vehicle could prevent deaths and serious injuries in rollover accidents. Ford has refuted the study and internal documents show that even the company's own engineers recommend strengthening the roof.

02/02/05 - Ford Engineers Warned of Death Risk From SUVs, Documents Show
Bloomberg -

Ford Motor Co. ignored its engineers' advice that the Explorer sport-utility vehicle needed design revisions to prevent rollover accidents and fatal injuries, according to internal company documents and employee depositions.

08/20/04 - Ford Settles Florida Rollover Lawsuit
Bloomberg News -

Ford Motor Co. settled a rollover-death case involving its Explorer sport-utility vehicle as a Florida jury considered whether to award $48 million in punitive damages to the victim's family.

08/17/04 - Safety Gap Grows Wider Between S.U.V.'s and Cars
New York Times - Danny Hakim

The gap in safety between sport utility vehicles and passenger cars last year was the widest yet recorded, according to new federal traffic data.

08/17/04 - Study: SUV Drivers More Likely To Die In Accidents
www.news4colorado.com -

A new government survey finds that sports utility vehicles may be more dangerous than originally believed.

08/10/04 - Safety Data Give SUVs Poor Grade In Rollover Tests
Of Popular Models, More Than a Third Are Prone To Problem in New Rankings
Wall Street Journal - AMY SCHATZ and KAREN LUNDEGAARD

More than a third of the most popular 2004-model sport-utility vehicles show a tendency to roll over, federal car-safety regulators said yesterday, giving auto makers another dent in their SUV lines.

08/10/04 - New Auto Tests Focus On Rollovers
So far, 68 cars, trucks, SUVs and vans have been put through their paces. Ford Explorer Sport Trac has the worst rating
USA TODAY - JAYNE O'DONNELL

U.S. auto safety officials published the first specific rollover scores for cars and trucks yesterday, answering criticism that the government's safety scores of one to five stars are too general to help consumers.

08/10/04 - Worst Score On Rollovers To Explorer Sport Trac
Chicago Tribune - Rick Popely

Sport-utility vehicles fared worse than passenger cars in the federal government's latest rollover ratings, with the Ford Explorer Sport Trac posting the lowest score of all models.

08/10/04 - System Cites Rollover Risk
New York Times - Danny Hakim

For the first time, federal regulators released figures on Monday that show how prone individual models of new cars and light-duty trucks are to roll over in an accident, exposing the occupants to high risk of death or serious injury.

08/10/04 - SUV ROLL CALL
New York Post - ZACH HABERMAN

Ford Explorer SUVs are the vehicles most likely to roll over in a sharp turn or other abrupt maneuver, according to a new study.

08/09/04 - Some Ford SUVs At Bottom of Rollover Ratings
Explorer Sport Trac two-wheel drive posts worst rating
Reuters -

Ford Motor Co.'s sport utility vehicles, including some models of the best-selling Explorer and the Mountaineer, are among the worst on the road for rollover risk, the government said Monday.

08/09/04 - U.S. Releases New Ratings for Rollovers
AP -

The government's traffic safety agency is expanding its rollover rating system for cars and trucks.

08/09/04 - U.S. Expands Vehicle Rollover Ratings
AP -

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration introduced a new rating system Monday that predicts a vehicle's chance of rolling over in a severe crash and lets consumers compare a vehicle with other similar vehicles.

08/09/04 - Federal Regulators Release a New Rollover Ranking System
AP -

Federal regulators released a new rollover ranking system today to assess the susceptibility of different vehicles to one of the deadliest types of accidents.

08/08/04 - U.S. to Give Consumers More Information on Rollovers
Reuters - John Crawley

The government will give consumers the most precise information yet on ratings for vehicle rollover dangers on Monday, but safety advocates and some car makers say methods used to measure the risk still fall short.

08/06/04 - Big Saturn SUV recall
AP -

Car company Saturn is going to recall nearly all of its VUE sport-utility vehicles, which regulators are investigating because the vehicle's rear suspension failed during two government rollover tests.

08/05/04 - More Detailed Rollover Rankings Out Monday
USA TODAY - Jayne O'Donnell

Federal auto safety officials plan to release the first comprehensive rollover rankings Monday, including how likely a vehicle is to roll over in a single-vehicle crash.

06/04/04 - Ford to Pay $369M in Rollover Accident
AP - SETH HETTENA

A woman left paralyzed when her Ford Explorer rolled over won a $369 million verdict from Ford Motor Co. in one of the biggest personal-injury awards ever against an automaker.

04/12/04 - Lawsuits Target Ford SuperCab Roof
Jury links vehicle's roof design to ejection
The Detroit News - Bill Vlasic and Jeff Plungis

Ford Motor Co. has settled a number of lawsuits challenging the strength of the roof in its F-Series SuperCab pickup.

04/12/04 - Seat Belts Not Enough To Save Lives In Rollovers
Danger Overhead: Crushed Roofs
The Detroit News - Bill Vlasic and Jeff Plungis

He was cruising over a slight rise on Highway 33 when Clyde "Ray" Noyes saw a car stopped up ahead, waiting to turn into a farmhouse driveway.

04/11/04 - Thousands Killed, Hurt As Auto Roofs Collapse
Danger Overhead: Crushed Roofs
The Detroit News - Bill Vlasic, and Jeff Plungis

Penny Shipler remembers the Chevrolet Blazer rolling over and over, then the sound of the roof crashing down over her head.

10/14/03 - Automakers Face Choices, Tradeoffs In New Government Rollover Test
Automotive News - HARRY STOFFER

Automotive engineers have several tools they can use to ensure that vehicles, including top-heavy SUVs, perform well in a new government rollover test.

09/02/03 - NHTSA Says SUV Rollovers a Concern
www.trailerlife.com -

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released figures that show rollovers of SUVs were the leading contributor to an increase in traffic deaths on U.S. highways last year. The number of traffic deaths in 2002 topped the figure of 1990 with some 42,815 people killed, this despite greater seat-belt use and improved safety systems on vehicles including airbags.

05/01/03 - Head Injuries Are Noted in Crash Tests of 3 S.U.V.'s
New York Times - MICHELINE MAYNARD

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said yesterday that results from a side-impact crash test showed that passengers in three sport utility vehicles would have suffered a high likelihood of severe or fatal head injuries.

04/27/03 - SUVs Blamed For Rise In Deaths
AP -

Regulators said last week that 42,850 people died in traffic-related deaths in 2002, the highest number since 1990.

04/24/03 - State Attorneys General Warn Automakers About SUV Ads
www.caranddriver.com -

Stop airing advertisements that could mislead consumers on the safety of sport utility vehicles, the attorneys general of 40 states and territories warned automakers.

04/24/03 - Crist, Others Attack SUV Ads
Miami Herald - PATRICK DANNER

Television ads showing sport-utility vehicles traveling at high speeds around sharp turns and obstacles have drawn a warning from consumer advocates in 40 states and territories.

04/04/03 - Kids at Greatest Risk in SUV Rollovers
More likely to suffer death or injury than in car rollovers
HealthScoutNews) -

Children riding in sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are much more likely to suffer death or injury during rollover crashes than those riding in cars that roll over and crash.

03/14/03 - New Call For Chrysler To Recall Seat Belts
Automotive News -

A leading consumer group increased pressure Thursday for a voluntary recall of seat belts on as many as 16 million Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles amid fresh assertions they can accidentally unlatch during crashes.

01/29/03 - McCain to Ask Top Regulator To Testify On SUV Standards
The Wall Street Journal - STEPHEN POWER

Adding fuel to the debate over the safety of sport-utility vehicles, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain will ask the government's top auto-safety regulator to testify on whether new regulations are needed to reduce SUV-related accidents.

01/23/03 - Teacher Awarded $1.7 Million After Losing Arm In SUV Rollover
South Florida Sun-Sentinel - Lisa J. Huriash

A South Florida fifth-grade teacher who lost her left arm in an SUV rollover accident was awarded $1.7 million in damages from Nissan Motor Co. on Wednesday.

01/22/03 - Speaking Out On The Perils of SUVs
The Los Angeles Times - Ralph Vartabedian

Jeffrey W. Runge, chief of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, stunned the auto industry last week in a speech by declaring that sport utility vehicles are not safe enough and consumers should reconsider buying them.

01/22/03 - Lawsuits Give Ford Publicity Problem
USA Today - David Kiley

Ford Motor, working hard to put financial and quality problems behind it, is being dogged by high-profile court battles that are likely to generate publicity through the rest of the year.

01/16/03 - SUV Rollovers Get Red Flag From Federal Safety Board
Automakers Question Statistics And Say They're Getting Up To Speed On Remedies
The Orange County Register - JAN NORMAN

The nation's traffic-safety chief has hinted new safeguards might be mandated for sport utility vehicles, but automakers insist they're already moving in that direction voluntarily.

01/16/03 - NHTSA Head Claims SUVs Are Unsafe
ABCNews.com -

For Chicago resident Nydia Gregory, sport utility vehicles are the way to go. "I feel safer in it for one thing," she said.

01/15/03 - NHTSA: SUVs Not Safe Enough
Top Auto-Safety Regulator Says SUVs Vulnerable To Rollover Accidents Due To High Centers of Gravity
CNN/Money -

In another blow to one of automakers' most popular and profitable product lines, the top U.S. auto-safety regulator said sport/utility vehicles and pickup trucks aren't safe enough due to rollover risks and consumers should think twice about buying them, according to a published report Wednesday.

01/15/03 - White House Regulator Critical of SUV Safety
Gannett News Service - DAVID KILEY

The Bush administration's top auto safety regulator joined the growing chorus of sport utility vehicle bashers Tuesday, saying he wouldn't drive those that scored lowest in government rollover ratings "if they were the last vehicles on Earth."

01/15/03 - Auto Defect Inquiries, SUVs Criticized
UPI -

The federal auto safety agency is investigating 480,000 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable sedans after an air bag on a 2000-model failed to deploy in a crash that killed the driver.

01/14/03 - Regulator Criticizes SUVs On Safety Front
USA Today - David Kiley

The Bush administration's top auto safety regulator joined the growing chorus of sport-utility vehicle bashers Tuesday, saying he wouldn't drive those that scored lowest in government rollover ratings "if they were the last vehicles on earth."

01/14/03 - Regulator Reaffirms Focus on S.U.V.'s
The New York Times -

The Bush administration's chief traffic safety regulator reaffirmed today that regulating sport utility vehicles would be a top priority.

01/13/03 - Big Vehicles Draw Big Criticism
Backlash Against Sport Utility Vehicles Doesn't Stop Drivers Who Want Them
The News Journal - VICTOR GRETO

Don't tell Clarence Reynolds of Newark that his black Grand Cherokee Laredo may be bad for the economy, let alone unpatriotic.

12/17/02 - SUV Rollover Deaths Climbing
www.cbsnews.com -

On a closed test track, a professional driver performs an emergency steering maneuver simulating what can happen when a car drifts off the pavement and onto the shoulder of a road.

12/02/02 - Safety Agency Posts More Rollover Ratings
CarAndDriver.com -

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced rollover test results on several vehicles as part of its ongoing series of such tests.

07/25/02 - Explorer Owners Sue For Class Action
UPI -

Owners of Ford Explorers in Ohio have filed a lawsuit against the automaker accusing Ford of knowingly encouraging people through deceptive marketing to buy sport utility vehicles the company knew were unsafe.

06/25/02 - Pickups Get Low Government Rollover Ratings
CarAndDriver.com -

The Chevrolet Avalanche and the four-wheel-drive version of the Ford F-150 SuperCrew received two stars out of five for rollover resistance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Reuters reported.

11/26/01 - Jeep Liberty Rolled Over In Test
UPI -

AutoWeek magazine says a 2002 Jeep Liberty was "bent on almost every body panel" when it rolled over during a severe emergency handling maneuver in a driving test last month.

11/21/01 - Liberty Rolls Over In 'AutoWeek' Test
USA Today - James R. Healey

A respected auto-enthusiast magazine rolled a Jeep Liberty sport-utility vehicle in a slalom test last month, raising the specter that DaimlerChrysler's hot-selling model could be tagged unsafe.

11/19/01 - A Jeep Rollover Proves Hard To Understand
Autoweek - KEVIN A. WILSON

You know the sun visor labels that warn SUV owners that such vehicles don't handle like cars in emergency maneuvers? AutoWeek contributing editor and test-track driver Pete Albrecht experienced firsthand the seriousness of that warning on Oct. 16. He was driving a Jeep Liberty in a slalom test when it rolled over twice, landing back on its wheels.

09/18/01 - Ford Settles SUV Rollover Suit Day Before Trial
Reuters -

The family of a Texas woman who died in an accident involving a Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle said on Tuesday it reached a settlement with Ford Motor one day before a trial on allegations that faulty design of the Explorer led to tire failure.

06/21/01 - Mitsubishi Montero Fails 'Consumer Reports' Test
USA Today - David Kiley

Consumer Reports magazine rates the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited sport-utility vehicle "not acceptable" because of what it says is its risk for rolling over in some hazardous driving conditions.

06/21/01 - Mitsubishi Montero Fails 'Consumer Reports' Test
USA TODAY - David Kiley

Consumer Reports magazine rates the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited sport-utility vehicle "not acceptable" because of what it says is its risk for rolling over in some hazardous driving conditions.

06/20/01 - Mitsubishi SUV 'Unsafe'
Montero Limited tips dangerously in tests, Consumer Reports says
CNNfn - Chris Isidore

The 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited sport/utility vehicle has a severe risk of tipping on two wheels, according to Consumer Reports, which gave the vehicle a rare "not acceptable" rating.

09/20/00 - SUV Rollover Risks Kept Quiet
www.cbsnews.com -

Just how risky are SUVs when it comes to possible rollovers?

07/17/00 - SUVs' Popularity Likely To Mean More Suits
USA Today - Gary Stoller

Many rollover-related lawsuits have been filed during the past decade, and the number is expected to increase dramatically as the popularity of sport-utility vehicles rises, lawyers and consumer safety advocates say.

01/09/00 - Two GM SUVs Get Lowest Rating
USA Today - Jayne O'Donnell,

The federal government on Tuesday issued its first ratings of passenger vehicles' resistance to rollover crashes, and the lowest score went to two General Motors sport-utility vehicles. The Transportation Department gave one-star ratings to the Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Jimmy/Envoy four-door 4x2 SUVs.

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