- A police officer crashed a 2022 Ford Explorer after the steering locked suddenly.
- City officials are suing Ford and are seeking a full refund for the faulty Explorer.
- The Massachusetts city spent around $400,000 on six new Explorers for its fleet.
A Massachusetts police department has taken Ford to court after one of its cruisers reportedly developed a mind of its own. The Holyoke Police Department claims that the steering in one of its Ford Explorers suddenly locked up, sending the SUV straight into a utility pole.
According to the lawsuit, Ford has refused to honor its warranty, repair the vehicle, or issue a refund.
The Incident Behind the Claim
Holyoke police officer Craig Zolendziewski was behind the wheel of a 2022 Explorer on June 25, 2023, when things went sideways – literally. As he exited a parking lot, a warning chime sounded. Moments later, the steering wheel allegedly froze, leaving the officer unable to turn before the cruiser struck a pole. The impact injured his shoulder and left the SUV with significant front-end damage, reports Mass Live.
The city notes that the department invested in six new Explorers in June 2022, spending around $400,000 in total. The specific cruiser involved in the crash cost about $67,000 and came with a premium care warranty intended to cover mechanical issues, including steering problems like this one.
Read: Ford Sued Over ‘Band-Aid’ Fix For Alleged Defective Engines
The damaged vehicle was transported and inspected at the nearby Marcotte Ford dealership, where a technician concluded that the “steering had failed and locked.”
According to the lawsuit, the technician tried to uphold the vehicle’s warranty, but was informed by Ford that it would need to “verify the condition” of the vehicle before approving the warranty claim.
When a company representative looked over the vehicle, they asserted the “steering system… was not defective,” and that the dealer “would not uphold the warranty.”
Waiting for an Answer
Mass Live reports that the city requested evidence supporting Ford’s conclusion approximately six months after the crash, but did not hear back. Last September, the city again contacted the automaker and filed a formal claim under the car’s warranty.
“Since the crash occurred because of a steering defect and since the plaintiff purchased a premium care warranty, which covers steering defects, the defendant has a contractual obligation to either pay for the repair of the cruiser free of charge, provide the plaintiff with a new cruiser free of charge, or give the plaintiff a complete refund,” the lawsuit states.
While Ford says it doesn’t comment on pending litigation, the city appears determined to see matters through.
Attorneys representing Holyoke argue that Ford has had ample opportunity to fix or replace the defective steering system but has failed to act. The suit now seeks a full refund of the Explorer’s purchase price, along with reimbursement of all legal fees.
