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(Salt Lake City-AP) -- The Utah attorney general, along with government leaders around the country, have settled a claim with Ford Motor Company concerning the safety of the Explorer sport-utility vehicle.
Mark Shurtleff says the settlement totals more than $51 million.
The agreement calls for a nationwide consumer education campaign about SUV safety. Utah and the 52 other jurisdictions taking part in the settlement will each receive a payment of $300,000 dollars. The remainder will be used to pay for the costs of the investigation.
The investigation alleged that Ford violated state laws against deception. For example, Ford claimed the Explorer has car-like handling. Fact is, the vehicle is a truck and has a higher risk of tipping over.
While Ford bragged about the Explorer's ability to haul cargo, on some models, the vehicles would exceed their carrying capacity with nothing more than a person in each seat.
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
