New Jersey City Sues Ford

Alleges Police Car Gas Tanks Unsafe

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May 15, 2002
The city of New Brunswick, NJ, is suing Ford Motor Co., claiming fuel tanks in Crown Victoria police cars are prone to rupture and catch fire in high-speed rear-end crashes.

In the class-action lawsuit, the city charges that Ford has known for decades about the hazards of installing fuel tanks in the "crush zone" behind rear axles. It asserts Ford should pay damages to police departments around the country and make safety modifications to the Crown Victorias.

The lawsuit accuses Ford of violating New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act by concealing the defect found in crash tests above 50 mph and engaging in deceptive marketing to police departments.

A Ford spokesman said the Crown Victoria and the modified Crown Victoria Police Interceptor have earned the federal government's 5-star crash rating, the highest rating possible.

New Brunswick police say they have about 30 Crown Victorias in their fleet of 60 vehicles. Officers have been warned about the potential of fuel tank explosions in rear-end collisions and have been told to move away from their vehicles in the event of such a crash.

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