Courtesy Ford Sales, Inc. v. Farrior

298 So. 2d 26, 53 Ala. App. 94, 1974 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 469
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedMay 15, 1974
DocketCiv. 276
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 298 So. 2d 26 (Courtesy Ford Sales, Inc. v. Farrior) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Courtesy Ford Sales, Inc. v. Farrior, 298 So. 2d 26, 53 Ala. App. 94, 1974 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 469 (Ala. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

*96 BRADLEY, Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment in favor of plaintiff in an action for breach of an express warranty. The action was filed against Ford Motor Company and Courtesy Ford Sales, Inc. as joint defendants and contained two counts. Count one alleged a breach of an express warranty and count two averred a breach of an implied warranty. Ford Motor Company, one of the defendants, demurred to the complaint as amended, which was overruled. Thereupon, both Ford Motor Company and Courtesy Ford filed pleas in short by consent to the amended complaint. Trial was commenced before the court and jury on the amended complaint. At the conclusion of plaintiff’s case in chief, and on motion of Ford Motor, the court struck count two, the implied warranty count, as to both defendants. The trial continued on the basis of count one and was presented to the jury on the complaint containing only the express warranty count. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff in the amount of $6,100.00, and judgment was entered accordingly. Motions for new trial were filed by both defendants and, among other grounds, contended that the verdict and judgment were excessive. The court ordered the motions overruled subject to acceptance by plaintiff of an $800.00 remittitur. This appeal is from the judgment on the merits and the motions for new trial.

The facts reveal that plaintiff, Mrs. Farrior, purchased a 1969 Ford Thunderbird from Courtesy Ford on August 15, 1969 for a stated price of $5,300. She received $1,800 as a trade-in allowance for her 1967 Pontiac.

Some three days after accepting delivery of the vehicle, Mrs. Farrior began experiencing difficulty with it. She said that trouble had developed in the electrical and ignition system and especially malfunctions in the electric motors in the windows. There was water leakage around both front doors, and the car was vibrating. She stated these problems were never satisfactorily solved by the dealer, Courtesy Ford. She also said that she continued to have other problems with the car which were never satisfactorily corrected.

Thirteen months after the purchase of the automobile, Mrs. Farrior and her attorney met with a representative of Ford Motor Company to discuss her problems with the Ford automobile. It was agreed that the repairs would be made at no cost to Mrs. Farrior. The car was at Courtesy Ford for ten days for repairs, and during said time Courtesy Ford furnished a car to Mrs. Farrior for her use without cost. About six months later, Mrs. Farrior had her car in for a minor repair. The following month the vehicle was carried to Courtesy Ford for a front-end alignment. There has been no charge made to Mrs. Farrior for any of the repairs made on her car either during the warranty period or after it had expired.

Mrs. Farrior also said that she had spent' some $168 in repairs at service stations during the forty-four months she had owned the car. Finally she said that she had received a temporary warranty card, but did not receive the written warranty and owner’s manual that usually accompany new cars.

An expert witness called by Mrs. Farrior testified that some of the problems troubling the vehicle could be attributed to normal wear and tear — the vehicle was over three years old — but he also said that there were certain conditions that could only be attributed to factory defects. The witness also testified that such defects if occurring in a brand new automobile would make it totally defective. He further stated that if you deducted the items caused by normal wear and tear, the car could be repaired for $665 assuming the worst. He did state, however, that the car’s value was then $1,500 to $1,600.

*97 Testimony given on behalf of appellants confirmed Mrs. Farrior’s statement to the effect that she had not been charged for any of the repairs made on her vehicle by Courtesy Ford.

The service development manager for Ford Motor Company stated that he had authorized repairs to be made on Mrs. Farrior’s car even after the expiration of the warranty period. He said that when a customer complains of problems with a vehicle after the expiration of the warranty period but which are related to complaints made during the warranty period, the repairs will be made as if they had occurred during said period. However, he did say that there was a point in time beyond which the company would not make cost-free repairs pursuant to the warranty.

The president of Courtesy Ford testified that there was a twenty-two month period during which Mrs. Farrior had no complaints with her car except for the two minor ones previously mentioned, and when Mrs. Farrior brought her car in seeking extensive repairs, he was told by Ford Motor that the repairs could not be handled under the warranty, and this answer was relayed to Mrs. Farrior.

Courtesy Ford argues several assignments of error, the first of which is the one contending that the record is devoid of any evidence showing that it is liable under the express warranty sued on by plaintiff. Courtesy Ford says that the general affirmative charge raising this point should have been given to the jury by the trial court, and the failure to do so constitutes reversible error. Courtesy Ford also says that since there is no evidence to support the allegation in the complaint that it was a party to the express written warranty issued by Ford Motor Company, a new trial on that basis should have been granted, and the failure of the trial court to award the motion constitutes reversible error.

The case was tried and considered by the jury on the basis of a one count complaint charging the defendants jointly with the violation of an express warranty. In support of this complaint, plaintiff introduced as Exhibit 8 the vehicle warranty issued by Ford Motor Company and placed in each of its 1969 motor vehicles. This written warranty is, in pertinent part, as follows:

“1969 MODEL CAR AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE LIGHT TRUCK WARRANTY
“Ford * warrants to the first retail purchaser only of a 1969 North American Ford-built passenger car or standard two-wheel drive light truck that the Selling Dealer, at his place of business, and using new Ford parts or Ford Authorized Remanufactured parts, will repair or replace, free of charge including related labor, any of the following parts that are found to be defective in factory materials or workmanship in normal use and service in the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico within a period of:
“12 months from the date of original retail delivery or 12,000 miles of operation, whichever occurs first, with respect to all parts (except tires and tubes);
“5 years from the date of original retail delivery or 50,000 miles of operation, whichever occurs first, with respect to the engine block and head, internal engine parts, water pump, intake manifold, transmission case, internal transmission parts, torque converter, drive shaft, universal joints, rear axle, and differential.
“If, on delivery to the first retail' purchaser, the vehicle has been in Ford or Dealer service (such as a demonstrator) the time and mileage limitation shall begin with the date the vehicle was first placed in such service.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Barko Hydraulics, LLC v. Michael Shepherd
167 So. 3d 304 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2014)
Rokicsak v. Colony Marine Sales and Service, Inc.
219 F. Supp. 2d 810 (E.D. Michigan, 2002)
Thorpe v. Hammons Sheet Metal Co.
991 S.W.2d 157 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1999)
Booth Real Estate & Insurance Agency v. Sprague Heating & Electric
599 N.E.2d 325 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1991)
Dairyland Ins. Co. v. General Motors Corp.
549 So. 2d 44 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1989)
Lytle v. Roto Lincoln Mercury & Subaru, Inc.
521 N.E.2d 201 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1988)
Motor Homes of America, Inc. v. O'DONNELL
440 So. 2d 422 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1983)
Arnold v. Campbell
398 So. 2d 301 (Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama, 1981)
Osburn v. Bendix Home Systems, Inc.
613 P.2d 445 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1980)
Ford Motor Co. v. Tindol
380 So. 2d 904 (Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama, 1980)
Richards v. Goerg Boat & Motors, Inc.
384 N.E.2d 1084 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1979)
Kure v. Chevrolet Motor Division
581 P.2d 603 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1978)
Givan v. MacK Truck, Inc.
569 S.W.2d 243 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1978)
Herbstman v. Eastman Kodak Company
342 A.2d 181 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1975)
In RE COURTESY FORD SALES, INC. v. Farrior
298 So. 2d 34 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
298 So. 2d 26, 53 Ala. App. 94, 1974 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 469, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/courtesy-ford-sales-inc-v-farrior-alacivapp-1974.