As many as 400,000 Canadians might be driving Ford vehicles with faulty door latches that could lead to serious injury or death, according to a $527-million class-action lawsuit against Ford Motor Co., Magna International Inc. and several of its subsidiaries.
The legal claim, launched yesterday in Ontario Superior Court by Will Barristers: Morin & Miller, says Ford and its subcontractors have known about faulty door latches on four Ford models since 1995.
The lawsuit has not been certified as a class action, and the allegations have not been proved.
According to the lawsuit, during crashes the door or doors on the side of the vehicle that was not hit have been reported to spring open.
The claim is seeking payment to replace latches on about four million light trucks and sports utility vehicles in the United States, and between 300,000 and 400,000 more in Canada. The cost would be about $1,300 for a four-door vehicle.
"If you just do the numbers, it's a very expensive recall," said Paul Miller with Toronto-based Will Barristers.
"So, as alleged in the claim, they put profits ahead of people because it was cheaper to fight the lawsuits than issue the recall," he said.
Mr. Miller's firm would represent Canadian Ford owners, while Motley Rice LLC in South Carolina would represent the Americans.
Vehicles with the alleged defect, from the 1997 model year to 2000, are the Ford F-150, Ford F-250 Super Light Duty, Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator and Blackwood.
Ford spokeswoman Kathleen Vokes said the allegations are unfounded. "The latches passed all federal requirements, and so there's no need for a recall," Ms. Vokes said from Dearborn, Mich. "There's no defect."
Ford maintains its door latches passed a crash test designed in 1967 -- one of two tests approved by U.S. authorities -- and therefore it is not required to recall the vehicles.
However, Mr. Miller maintains the 1967 "pulse test" is not as stringent as the other test, which applies heavy force to the vehicle.
"If they have concerns with testing procedures or methodology, that's a completely different issue, but Ford met or exceeded all requirements," Ms. Vokes said.
The lawsuit also says that Aurora, Ont.-based auto parts giant Magna and its subsidiaries Magna Donnelly Corp., Donnelly Corp., Dortec Industries, Intier Automotive Inc. and Atoma Latching Systems Group "knew that their respective designs and equipment they manufactured did not comply" with Canadian and U.S. safety standards.
A Magna spokesperson was not immediately available to comment on the allegations.