The safety of Ford Motor Company's controversial 15-passenger vans will be reviewed in Federal court next month as the automobile maker faces accusations it withheld test data on the vehicles. The new case, scheduled for trial February 24, stems from a lawsuit involving the deaths of two van passengers in an accident on a Kentucky highway in 1996. According to plaintiff attorneys, during the ensuing lawsuit, Ford hid evidence that allegedly outlined the 15-passenger van's propensity to rollover. The victims' attorneys are seeking the tests' results to properly determine what Ford knew about the vans' safety before the fatal crash.

In 2002, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a warning alerting consumers that 15-passenger vans have a higher risk of rollovers when fully loaded. Over 400 people have died in 15-passenger van accidents in the United States since 1990.