By Steven Melendez

Law360, New York (February 08, 2012, 7:29 PM ET) -- Three lawsuits alleging various Ford Motor Co. vehicles had defective spark plugs that were difficult and expensive to replace will be consolidated in an Ohio multidistrict litigation despite Ford's objections, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ruled Wednesday.

The cases share factual questions relating to the design and manufacture of engines and spark plugs Ford used in a variety of vehicles, including some models of Ford Mustang, Lincoln Navigator and Mercury Mountaineer, according to the ruling. Centralizing the cases will eliminate duplicative discovery, prevent inconsistent...