Key Issue
Whether a district court conducted a sufficiently comprehensive
review in granting final approval of a settlement class given
objections concerning (1) the actual relief the class would receive
and (2) the presence of a "clear sailing" provision under
which defendant Ford Motor Company would not object to class
counsel's fee request.
Background
In Vargas v. Ford Motor Co., a proposed class of consumer
plaintiffs brought misrepresentation and warranty claims against
Ford for alleged defects in certain Ford transmission systems used
in its Fiesta and Focus vehicles for certain model
years.13 The defects allegedly caused delayed shifting,
delayed acceleration, and premature internal wear on the
transmission system.14
