A Sacramento, California Superior Court Judge said earlier this month that an “apparent resolution” may occur soon in a $2 billion lawsuit against Ford Motor Company.

October 22, 2007, marks the date when an agreement will be presented to the court during a hearing.

The Ford lawsuit is the result of allegations that Ford Motor Company violated unfair competition laws and engaged in potential fraudulent marketing in California when marketing its Ford Explorer SUV as safe and family-friendly throughout the 1990s. The potential fraudulent marketing claim is made by plaintiffs who believe Ford knew of a design flaw that made the SUV rollover prone.

The Ford lawsuit was filed by over 414,000 California residents who bought Ford Explorers during the 90s and claim the resale value of their vehicle dropped significantly due to the publicity surrounding the cars rolling over in a car accident, and the subsequent recall of the Ford Explorers’ Firestone tires.

Ford claims that the onset of a recession and the ending of the internet bubble explain the vehicles’ depreciation.

Source: “Ford SUV suit could be resolved,” Sacbee.Com, October 3, 2007.