Ford Fight Over Arbitration Agreements Gets California Court Nod

Ford Motor Co. will get a crack at arguing before the California Supreme Court that the lower courts incorrectly ruled the company can’t force arbitration over vehicle defects in cases where the manufacturer wasn’t a signatory to the agreement.

Justices during their weekly conference Wednesday unanimously approved taking the cases. The court limited arguments to whether manufacturers’ express or implied warranties that accompany a vehicle at the time of sale constitute obligations arising from the sale contract, which permit manufacturers to enforce an arbitration agreement pursuant to equitable estoppel.

In the lead case, the state appeals court in Los Angeles ...