Class Action OKd in Samurai Suit

Suzuki Samurai owners who claim the sport utility vehicle rolls over too easily won an important round this week in their $90-million suit against American Suzuki Motor Corp. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Barnet M. Cooperman granted the plaintiffs class-action status, meaning the suit can be heard on behalf of 45,000 Californians who bought the vehicle. It is the first time a state or federal court has approved class-action litigation over the complaints against the Samurai. Suzuki said it will appeal Cooperman’s ruling and pointed out that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found no safety defects when it investigated the issue in 1988. The lawsuit was initially filed in 1989 by John Robinson of Lancaster, whose Samurai overturned on the way to work, and Deidre Carney of San Francisco, who contends she was overcharged $2,000 for her Samurai--the amount needed to make it safe. The suit contends that 45,000 Californians who purchased Samurais from authorized dealers deserve about $2,000 each to correct center-of-gravity problems. The total repair bill for Samurais on the road in California would amount to about $90 million, the plaintiffs’ attorney said. Suzuki has decided to discontinue the Samurai after the 1995 model year. An estimated 174,220 of the vehicles are in use nationally. The trial is expected to begin next spring.