Recently, lawyers for Firestone and Ford asked Indianapolis federal Judge Sarah Evans Barker to dismiss nearly 80 proposed class action lawsuits against the companies. Judge Barker is in charge of over 200 Ford-Firestone cases relating to the nearly 6.5 million Firestone tires recalled in August 2000. Over 150 people have died after Firestone tires, many of them installed on Ford Explorers, suffered tread separations or blowouts causing the Explorer to roll.

During late 2000, the approximately 200 cases pending against Ford and Firestone were consolidated in order to facilitate discovery and aid with other organizational issues. The 80 suits that are subject to the request for dismissal involve Plaintiffs whom Firestone and Ford claim have not suffered any injury, either to their property or themselves. Judge Barker is expected to rule on the request shortly.

Firestone has set aside over $750 million dollars in reserves in order to pay what are expected to be large settlements and jury awards. Firestone says that its financial stockpile should not be seen as an acknowledgment of liability. In a related matter, Ford has agreed to make public heretofore classified company documents concerning the safety of Firestone equipped Ford Explorers.