Park City Services, Inc. v. Ford Motor Co.

The limousine in this case, while perhaps not up to the standards of Stephen King’s Christine, certainly did seem to be possessed. Park City Services, Inc., doing business as Ferraro Limousine Services (Ferraro), leased it for use in its business in Dallas, Texas. The limousine was covered by an express limited warranty issued by Ford Motor Company, Inc. (Ford). However, despite the best repair efforts of a highly regarded Dallas Ford dealership, the rear suspension kept collapsing, the engine kept overheating, and the air conditioner kept blowing hot air. The cooling fan would either stay on when it was not needed or fail to turn on when it was. Whenever the limousine was in for repairs, Ferraro lost income. Some breakdowns left Ferraro’s customers stranded, often in sweltering summer heat. Ultimately, the limousine’s engine simply burst into flames.

Ferraro filed this action against Ford, asserting a cause of action under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (the Song-Beverly Act, or the Act) (Civ. Code, § 1790 et seq.) and a cause of action for breach of warranty. A jury awarded the full amount of damages Ferraro sought—$489,380.13, representing $163,126.71 in…