OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- A mistrial was declared in a class-action lawsuit against Ford Motor Co. after jurors remained deadlocked following 12 days of deliberations.
The lawsuit accused Ford of a design defect that made millions of vehicles prone to stalling.Jurors deadlocked 7-5 and 8-4 in favor of the consumers on two key questions of liability. Nine votes are needed for a verdict in civil cases.
The lawsuit, on behalf of 3.5 million current and former California owners of Ford vehicles in model years 1983-95, contends the vehicles stalled because an ignition device was mounted in the wrong place.
Ford denied any defects, saying its vehicles were no more prone to stalling than any others and posed no safety hazard.
Judge Michael Ballachey had urged the jurors to return several days ago when they said they were deadlocked on the questions, after 58 days of testimony in a trial that lasted five months.
"At least some of the jurors realized the difference between real engineering and courtroom engineering," Ford spokesman Jim Cain said after Thursday's mistrial ruling. "They recognized that our vehicles are safe and that we were honest with the government and honest with consumers."
The consumers' lawyer, Jeff Fazio, didn't respond Thursday to a request for comment left at his office.