October 11, 2000
Ruling in a class action case, a California state court judge has ordered the recall of up to 1.7 million Ford cars and trucks in the state, claiming Ford concealed an ignition problem that can cause stalling when the engine is hot. It's the first U.S. recall ever ordered by a judge.

Attorney Jeff Fazio, who filed the case, said, "It's a great day for consumers."

Superior Court Judge Michael E. Ballachey said the ignition modules were "flawed from the start," and he said Ford had purposely concealed the problem for nearly two decades.

Ballachey's ruling grew out of a class action filed on behalf of 3.5 million Ford owners in California. The plaintiffs alleged that the vehicles stalled because the ignition was positioned in such a way that it was exposed to excessive heat and stress.

Ballachey's ruling applies only to California, although similar suits are pending in Alabama, Maryland, Illinois, Tennesse and Washington. As many as 23 million vehicles are potentially affected by the alleged defect.

Ford denies there is a safety problem with the ignitions, although it did recall 1.1 million 1984-85 vehicles to repair the ignition devices because of complaints about stalling.

Ford documents introduced in the case showed that a Ford engineer warned that the ignition device could overheat and that it would cost $4 per car to move it to a cooler spot.

Models affected by the California recall include: