When Seattle resident Elisa Davidson(ph) first bought her 2000 Ford Taurus, she had no idea it was a so-called flex-fuel car.

NPR: 'Flex-Fuel' Concept Fails to Deliver on Potential

There have been exceptions, including a 2006 decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Detroit allowing the so-called Daffin class action to proceed over Ford minivans alleged to have sticky throttles. (Ford settled.) But in cases involving Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Daimler-Chrysler cars, and Canon digital cameras, courts have refused to hold manufacturers liable for what consumers fear might happen to their products.

FORBES: The Lawyers Suing Toyota Badly Need A New Theory