Sanchez-Knutson v. Ford Motor Co.

52 F. Supp. 3d 1223, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 148186, 2014 WL 5139306
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedOctober 7, 2014
DocketCase No. 14-61344-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 52 F. Supp. 3d 1223 (Sanchez-Knutson v. Ford Motor Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sanchez-Knutson v. Ford Motor Co., 52 F. Supp. 3d 1223, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 148186, 2014 WL 5139306 (S.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING FORD’S MOTION TO DISMISS

WILLIAM P. DIMITROULEAS, District Judge.

THIS' CAUSE is before the Court upon Defendant Ford Motor Company (“Ford” or “Defendant”)’s Motion to Dismiss [DE 19]. The Court has carefully considered the Motion, Plaintiff Angela Sanchez-Knutson (“Plaintiff’)’s Response [DE 23], Defendant’s Reply [DE 25], arguments by counsel at the hearing on October 2, 2014, and is otherwise fully advised in the premises.

I. BACKGROUND

This action arises out Ford’s sale of Ford Explorer model vehicles1 with an [1225]*1225allegedly dangerous and defective condition that was allowing the exhaust and other gases to enter the passenger compartment of the vehicle during normal use.

According to the factual allegations of the Complaint, Plaintiff Angela Sanchez-Knutson (“Plaintiff’) is a resident of Bro-ward County, Florida. [DE 1] at & 10. Defendant Ford Motor Company (“Ford”) is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Michigan. ¶ 11.

On March 31, 2012, Plaintiff purchased a new 2013 Ford Explorer from an authorized Ford dealership in Gainesville, Florida. ¶ 12. The 2013 Ford Explorer purchased by Plaintiff was dangerous and defective when purchased because its design and exhaust and/or HVAC systems permitted an exhaust odor, exhaust and other gases, including carbon monoxide, to enter the passenger compartment of the vehicle. ¶ 13. This defect is latent in nature because it is not obvious or ascertainable upon reasonable examination or inspection. ¶ 13. At the time of the purchase, Plaintiff was not notified that the 2013 Ford Explorer she was purchasing was defective, nor was she notified that she and all occupants, including her husband and children, would be exposed to lethal carbon monoxide and other potentially dangerous gases while driving in her 2013 Ford Explorer during its normal and customary use. ¶ 14.

Plaintiff brought the vehicle in for service at an authorized Ford dealership in Sunrise, Florida, on or about the following dates: September 12, 2012, November 29, 2012, March 20, 2013, August 20, 2013, November 7, 2013, January 7, 2014, March 13, 2014, and April 14, 2014. ¶ 15. Each time, Plaintiff or her husband notified the authorized Ford dealership that an exhaust, odor was present in the passenger compartment while the vehicle was in use, and that the odor would intensify when the driver accelerated the vehicle. ¶ 16.

When the vehicle was brought in for service on or about November 7, 2013, the authorized Ford dealership verified Plaintiffs complaint of an exhaust odor in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. ¶ 17. The authorized Ford dealership prescribed and performed TSB 12-12-4, which was intended to correct the problem. ¶ 17. However, Plaintiff continued to smell exhaust in the passenger compartment of the vehicle after TSB 12-12-4 was performed. ¶ 18. Plaintiff or her husband continued to notify the authorized Ford dealership on each service visit that an exhaust odor was present in the passenger compartment of the vehicle while the vehicle was in use. ¶ 18.

The authorized Ford dealership informed Plaintiff that Ford was aware of the exhaust odor problem but did not know how to fix the problem. ¶ 19. An employee or agent of the authorized Ford dealership informed Plaintiff that the wife of the owner of the authorized Ford dealership drove a Ford Explorer and had experienced the same problem as Plaintiff—an exhaust odor in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. ¶ 20.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that is toxic to humans. ¶ 22. On numerous occasions, Plaintiff or her husband asked the authorized Ford dealership whether the exhaust odor problem posed a health risk, including whether carbon monoxide was entering the passenger compartment of the vehicle. ¶ 21. The authorized Ford dealership assured Plaintiff that there was no carbon monoxide entering the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and that the problem was not a [1226]*1226hazard to health. ¶ 23. Based upon those representations, Plaintiff continued to operate the vehicle. ¶ 24. In or about April 2014, Plaintiff learned that lethal quantities of carbon monoxide would enter the passenger compartment of the vehicle while the vehicle was being driven in a normal and customary manner. ¶ 25. Plaintiff immediately discontinued operating the vehicle. ¶ 25.

The 2011 through 2013 model year Ford Explorers were designed, engineered and manufactured by Ford with design flaws and/or defective exhaust and/or HVAC systems that permit carbon monoxide and exhaust to enter into the passenger compartments of those vehicles while being driven in a normal and customary manner. ¶ 30. Ford knew or should have known that the 2011 through 2013 model year Ford Explorers were dangerous and defective such that drivers and passengers of those vehicles may be exposed to carbon monoxide and other dangerous gases while the vehicles are in operation. ¶ 32. As of the date of filing the Complaint, Ford has not repaired Plaintiffs 2013 Ford Explorer. ¶ 26. Nor has Ford acknowledged that the 2011-2013 model year Ford Explorers contain design flaws and/or defective exhaust and/or HVAC systems permitting lethal carbon monoxide and other potentially dangerous gases into the passenger compartments of those vehicles. ¶ 26.

Ford designed, manufactured, assembled, inspected, distributed, sold and leased the 2011 through 2013 model year Ford Explorers in a manner so as to render the subject vehicles defective and unsafe for their intended use and purpose by, among other things:

(a)Designing the vehicles such that exhaust and other gases, including carbon monoxide, may enter the passenger compartments of the vehicles;
(b) Designing the bumpers and/or tailpipes on the vehicles such that exhaust and other gases, including carbon monoxide, may accumulate behind the bumper and within the interior and exterior panels,. allowing those gases to permeate the passenger compartments of the vehicles;
(c) Designing, manufacturing and assembling the vehicles using defective rear air extractors which permit exhaust and other gases, including carbon monoxide, to enter the passenger compartments of the vehicles;
(d) Designing, manufacturing and assembling the liftgates in the rear of the vehicles using defective drain valves, which permit exhaust and other gases, including carbon monoxide, to enter the passenger compartments of the vehicles;
(e) Designing, manufacturing and assembling the vehicles with sheet metal panels and overlaps which permit exhaust and other gases, including carbon monoxide, to enter the passenger compartments of the vehicles;
(f) Designing, manufacturing and assembling the vehicles with rear auxiliary air conditioning system parts which are defectively designed and/or located too close in proximity to the driver side rear air extractor, such that exhaust and other gases, including carbon monoxide, may enter the auxiliary air conditioning system and the passenger compartments of the vehicles.

¶ 31.

The defective vehicles were sold or leased pursuant to express and implied warranties. ¶ 33. These warranties assured consumers that the vehicles were [1227]

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52 F. Supp. 3d 1223, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 148186, 2014 WL 5139306, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanchez-knutson-v-ford-motor-co-flsd-2014.