Venezuela Congress to Probe Ford, Bridgestone

Venezuela’s National Assembly voted unanimously to open an investigation into whether products made by Ford Motor Co. and tire maker Bridgestone Corp. were responsible for 46 road deaths in the South American nation. The assembly will appoint a commission to probe charges that inadequate suspension on Ford’s Explorer sport-utility vehicle combined with weak Wilderness AT tires made by Bridgestone’s Firestone unit to cause more than 70 high-speed accidents. Venezuela’s public prosecutor’s office is already investigating accusations by its consumer protection agency that the world’s No. 2 car maker and its largest tire supplier share responsibility for the accidents.