---

Ford Statement on Safety Issue: Emergency Trunk Release

16 December 1998

Ford Statement on Safety Issue: Emergency Trunk Release

    DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 16 -- Another automaker has announced
plans to retrofit vehicles with an emergency release latch to help prevent
tragedies resulting from adults or children being trapped inside the trunk.
The following statement can be attributed to Helen Petrauskas, Ford
vice president - Environmental & Safety Engineering.

    "This is an important safety issue.  We applaud any action to reduce
safety risks to children.  Ford, too, has been working with child development
experts on a solution.  We're taking a slightly different approach and will
take it to our customers later this year.  We will have more to say about this
soon."