Engineering Ethics

2002: Ford Explorer Rollover 143

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Describe the similarities among the Ford Pinto, Bronco II, and Explorer

design decision-making processes. Why did Ford not seem to learn from

its Pinto experience?

2. Rollover problems have plagued sport utility vehicles since primitive

truck-based ones were built for the military during World War II.

Indeed, costly rollover lawsuits involving truck-based Jeeps pushed

American Motors to design the Jeep Cherokee from scratch as a sport

utility vehicle in the early 1980s. Based on New York Times analysis of

federal crash statistics from 1991 to 1999, Explorer drivers are nearly

twice as likely to die in rollovers as are occupants of Jeep Cherokees

and Grand Cherokees, the only popular sport utilities long built like

cars (Bradsher, 2000). As part of the professional responsibility of

technical competence, should a senior light truck designer be aware of

this rollover history?

3. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s mission is to “save

lives, prevent injuries, and reduce vehicle-related crashes.” Is NHTSA

fulfilling its mission?

4. An alternative method for managing crises is described by Surowiecki

(Surowiecki, 2005). Read this article, which describes the Ford-Firestone

debacle as an example of poor crisis management. How involved should

engineers be in their company’s crisis management?

5. According to former NHTSA administrator Joan Claybrook, lawsuits

are an important part of highway traffic safety. Said Claybrook,

The lawsuits gather information. They result in sanctioning the company—

sometimes with big punitive damages, which are a deterrent. And they’re very

important because the auto companies make a cost-benefit calculation that

they’re not going fix something unless it’s going to cost them more not to....

It’s a terrible thing in terms of public policy. And so these lawsuits force

them—prematurely, before they want to—to redesign, fix and recall some of these

vehicles or other products, and also to disclose information. (Frontline, 2002c)

The Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 limits attorney fees and moves

jurisdiction from local to federal district courts (USC, 2005) in order to

prevent excessive judgments. Do you believe the Ford judgments were

excessive? Discuss.

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