Faulty Tire Cases to Be Tried as Class Action

Claims by millions of car owners against Ford Motor Co. and Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. involving defective tires mounted on Explorer sport-utility vehicles will be tried as a single case, a U.S. judge ruled.

U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker ruled in Indianapolis that all owners of Explorers made from 1991 to2001 and equipped with Firestone tire models that have been recalled are part of the class, said Mike Edison, a lead plaintiffs’ lawyer in the case against the No. 2 auto maker and the U.S. unit of Bridgestone, Japan’s largest tire maker.

U.S. highway safety officials have linked the faulty tires on Explorers to 271 traffic deaths and more than 700 injuries.

The cases involved in the class-action suit include claims by consumers seeking payment for warranty breaches and loss of their vehicles’ resale value.

Ford shares fell 38 cents to close at $17.91 in NYSE trading.