BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A South Florida man is suing Ford Motor Company and a Miami-area dealership, claiming a defective seatbelt component in his 2019 Ford Expedition Max spontaneously exploded — leaving him permanently deaf.
Justin VanDerwiele just filed the lawsuit in Palm Beach County Circuit Court against Ford Motor Company and Ford of Kendall LLC. According to the complaint obtained by BocaNewsNow.com, VanDerwiele purchased the 2019 Ford Expedition Max from Ford of Kendall, located at 15551 S. Dixie Highway in Miami, on June 25, 2022. On September 24, 2024, he says the front seatbelt pretensioner in the SUV deployed without warning, without any collision or impact, causing a blast that resulted in permanent hearing loss.
The complaint claims that Ford had already acknowledged a problem with the vehicle. Ford issued a Safety Recall Notice in February 2024, targeting the front seatbelt retractor date code on 2019 Ford Expedition Max vehicles. VanDerwiele’s lawsuit argues that despite that recall, the defective component still caused his injuries. The suit accuses Ford of negligence, negligent failure to warn, strict liability, and breach of express and implied warranties.
VanDerwiele is represented by Jeff D. Vastola of Vastola Legal in Stuart, Florida. He is seeking damages in excess of $50,000 which is the statutory minimum for filing in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. Ford had not responded to the suit as of Friday afternoon.
