A Nasty Turn For Ford?

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The 2002 Explorer, which automotive critics acclaim, is Ford's bid to compete against the barrage of new SUV entries hitting the market this year. But as regards the rollover issue, the new model also represents a paradoxical gamble. The company is touting the 2002's safety and environmental enhancements, such as an elaborate air-bag system, wider base and lower center of gravity. Yet the question remains: Why weren't these changes made earlier?

That is certainly a focal point of Tab Turner's case. The Little Rock, Ark., lawyer has spent a decade investigating SUV rollovers, and has beaten Ford three times in court. He won a $25 million verdict in 1995 that involved the Bronco II, forerunner of the 1990s Explorers. Over the past eight years, he has taken more than 30 depositions from Ford and Firestone employees on the engineering and development history of the Explorer and the tires that were designed for it. A top Ford official, on videotape, admitted to Turner that Wilderness AT tires were susceptible to failure depending on inflation pressure and operating conditions.

Ford officials continue to deny vehemently any safety problems with the Explorer. "The Explorer has a phenomenal safety record and the lowest fatality rate in rollovers," says spokesman Jason Vines. The question now is whether that record will be enough to keep Ford above the assault of allegations that are likely to come as Donna Bailey's case goes public.

--With reporting by Elisabeth Kauffman/Atlanta and Joseph R. Szczesny/Dearborn