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Ford to Pursue Lawsuit Against Fleet Buyer Who Shipped SUVs to China
A U.S. District Judge in Los Angeles has ruled that Ford Motor Co. may pursue a lawsuit against a fleet customer in California who it says bilked the company and illegally shipped Explorer SUVs to China, Automotive News reports.
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A U.S. District Judge in Los Angeles has ruled that Ford Motor Co. may pursue a lawsuit against a fleet customer in California who it says bilked the company and illegally shipped Explorer SUVs to China, Automotive News reports.
The complaint targets South El Monte, Calif.-based Titan Enterprise Inc., which agreed in 2014 to buy at least 250 Explorer SUVs within one year, thus enabling it to quality for discounts of roughly $4,800 per vehicle. The deal specified that Titan would use the vehicles within the U.S.
Ford says Titan failed to buy the 250-car minimum and shipped at least some of the vehicles it did buy to China. The LinkedIn page for Jonathan Chen, Titan's top executive, describes the company as a wholesale auto dealership and exporter of new and used vehicles.
Titan claims the non-export clause in its contract with Ford is unenforceable. The federal judge rejected that argument and said Ford may pursue its complaint. Ford tells AN it intends to do so.
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