This is almost beyond comprehension. It just isn't possible to reason with people like this....
Ford can refuse to sell to suer
Fla. sheriff wants Crown Vics
Detroit Free Press 09/29/04
by Associated Press
(c) Copyright 2003&044; Detroit Free Press. All Rights Reserved.
SHALIMAR, Fla. -- Ford Motor Co. can refuse to sell police cars to Florida law enforcement agencies that join a lawsuit against the automaker over fuel tank fires, a judge has ruled.
Okaloosa County Circuit Judge G. Robert Barron denied Sheriff Charlie Morris' request that he order Ford to resume selling cars to the department. Ford has refused to sell any more Crown Victoria Police Interceptors to Morris since July 2003, a year after he sued.
The suit claims the full-size, V8-powered, four-door sedans have exploded in flames when struck from behind at high speed because of poor design.
Barron granted class-action status last month, permitting hundreds of Florida law enforcement agencies to join the lawsuit.
Barron said Monday that case law establishes a company's right to refuse to do business with any customer.
With Barron's ruling in hand, Ford also will refuse to sell the cars to any other agency that participates in the suit, said company lawyer David Cannella.
It's fundamentally illogical for Sheriff Morris to, on one hand, sue us and, on the other hand, seek the court to order (Ford) to sell him more vehicles, Cannella said.
One of Morris' attorneys, Don Barrett, has said the sheriff firmly believes the Police Interceptors are defective but he wants to buy new ones to replace aging cars because seeking other vehicles would be more costly.
Last fall, the Detroit Free Press reported that at least 18 officers have died in fiery rear-end crashes in Crown Victorias. None of Morris' cars were involved.
The fatality count apparently grew Sunday, when a police officer in Prairie View, Texas, was killed after a pickup truck slammed into the rear of his parked Crown Victoria police cruiser, which burst into flames.
Officer Christopher Sobieski, 39, was parked on the shoulder of a highway watching for speeders and drunken drivers.
Investigators are awaiting results of a blood-alcohol test on the truck driver, who escaped injury.
The Crown Victoria is the most popular police car on the road.
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Dan;
I'm not sure of the point you are trying to make; whether you are suggesting it is impossible to reason with Ford or the Police. However, I will express my humble opinion. I am with Ford and think that the ruling seems completely sensible.
Why do the police want to buy more cars that they contest are defective, poorly designed and therefore dangerous? Why should Ford be forced to sell cars to someone who they do not wish to sell cars to? It makes no sense for Ford to sell these cars to someone who is trying to sue them and it would, IMO be stupid for them to be forced to do so.
Andy
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Andy,
I work for FMC and this was included in our daily Clipsheet of news articles concerning the industry.
Morris is one of the leaders of the action against Ford for (so far unfounded) fuel tank fires on the Crown Victoria. Irrespective of that though, he has tried to order more of the vehicles. Ford has, and rightly so in my opinion, refused to sell any more vehicles to this particular enforcement agency and Morris has subsequently sued them for this.
Thankfully someone has seen some sense in the justice system and permitted this along with the refusal to sell to any other enforcement agencies who join the lawsuit.
Imagine if this was your own business, do you want to continue selling your product to someone who denounces it as unsafe and is currently suing you over the matter?
Dan
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Dan:
I think we are in agreement. I was worried for a moment!
Andy
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:) Yep, just thought I'd clarify...
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I'm not sure this is the full story, recent (new) Crown Vitoria's have fuel tank protection, the older cars didn't.
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"Why do the police want to buy more cars that they contest are defective, poorly designed and therefore dangerous?"
Because it is the only car available to them that is capable of fulfilling their requirements. Ever since the demise of the Chevrolet Caprice, Ford has cornered the market(for large RWD saloons capable of withstanding higher than average use)and if you are a practical thinking police department then the Ford Crown Victoria is the car you want to buy. If Ford won't sell the car to you because you dared to take action regarding a safety defect then you are done. Next time keep quiet and if a few more officers burn to death...oh well, they knew it was a dangerous job when they applied for it.
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I think the higher-ups in the police department need to seriously find out why all these accidents are happening and take action to stop it with driver training. Haven't they learned yet that the hard shoulder is the most dangerous bit of a freeway, much like our motorways where sadly, many of the motorway fatalities occur.
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"Because it is the only car available to them that is capable of fulfilling their requirements. Ever since the demise of the Chevrolet Caprice..."
Exactly how is the Crown Vic the "only car available to them"? U.S. Police buy all manner of vehicles. The reason the Crown Vic is often chosen is it is one of the few remaining full size sedans. Ford hasn't "cornered the market", it has been abandoned by all the other manufacturers as it is an unprofitable sector and high risk when it comes to your vehicles being used in these situations. In fact one of the sole reasons the CV is still in production is because of police orders for the vehicles.
"If Ford won't sell the car to you because you dared to take action regarding a safety defect then you are done. Next time keep quiet and if a few more officers burn to death..."
Exactly what safety defect? It has been proved on various occasions that in virtually all the accidents where a CV petrol tank has been involved in a fire, any other car would also have suffered a significantly worse fate. You try sitting in a car with a full petrol tank and have 3 tons of F350 truck run up the back of you at 45mph. The US is the land of litigation - do you think that anyone, especially a group of people so reliant on their cars, would buy something they thought would endanger their lives?
Anyway, this is digressing - the point of this thread is NOT the supposed vehicle issue, more that someone can be idiotic enough to sue a manufacturer due to them considering a product is dangerous, then ordering a court to demand they are supplied with said product when the manufacturer refuses to sell them more.
HJ's example is very demonstrative of the point I am making...
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ok ok calm down dear it's only a commercia....
Slightly digressing again i'm a long time fan of the Crown Vic, do you know of the future plans for this vehicle? So it's a behemoth of a bygone age but that's it's charm. If Police sales dwindle then it most certainly will be doomed. How much longer has it got?
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"U.S. Police buy all manner of vehicles"
Yup, and the only one they find suitable is the Crown Vic which is why I was sure to state " that is capable of fulfilling their requirements"..yeah you left that bit off when you quoted me 8-).
Ford tried to offer a second choce with the Taurus and I know of one department that got rid of their Taurus fleet within a year after they found the car couldn't handle daily police use. Chevrolet tried to fill the Caprice gap with the new version of the Impala, but they don't seem to be holding up too well either, and poor Miami PD still can't overcome the ridicule they put themselves through when they tried using the Dodge Aries K car. Maybe I wasn't fair in saying Ford cornered the market, but they certainly control it now.
"Exactly what safety defect?"
Are you kidding?. Do you have any links to this proof that any other car would have burst into flames?. If you do, share it with Ford because they sure don't...or I should say, if they did, they wouldn't be admitting that the CVs have a problem would they?. www.autosafety.org/article.php?scid=94&did=767
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Funny that they don't buy BMW's, Merc's & Volvo's like UK police forces. They're all quite popular cars in the US.
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Going slightly OT with this one - but on Wednesday I was following a brand new Mercedes CLK230 (I think!) Police car in Brigthon. Looked very nice!
I assume it was down to accompany Blair either that or Sussex police have just blown next years pen budget on a new car :-p
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