Judge Orders Ford Recall

A California judge became the first ever to issue a vehicle recall, ordering Ford Motor
Company to repair affected vehicles after determining it misled consumers about a design
defect with thick film ignition (TFI) modules that makes the engines likely to stall. The
case alleges that Ford installed TFI modules too close to engine heat in at least 1.7
million cars and trucks sold in California between 1983 and 1995, causing them to stall. A
court-appointed official will determine when and how the recall will proceed. A Ford
spokesman said Ford would appeal. At no time in the trial did the plaintiffs demonstrate
that deaths or injuries had resulted from the stalling problem. A list of Ford vehicles
that are affected may be viewed on the Center for Auto Safety’s Web site: www.autosafety.org.