With its latest recall, the Ford Motor Co. has recalled almost 11 million cars and trucks since 2005 because of a clear danger that the vehicles could erupt in flames without warning.
But as the piecework recalls trickle out from the federal agency charged with the responsibility of protecting consumers from faulty automotive products, Fords keep burning, sometimes destroying homes and other vehicles while Ford denies responsibility and tells its customers to call their insurance company.
Federal regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have repeatedly closed the books on Ford fires, declaring their mission accomplished.
In the massive recall of August 2006, NHTSA proclaimed: With the three recalls Ford has announced, all of the models that Ford built ... that exhibit the factors that can cause the switch to fail resulting in a fire while the ignition is in the off position will be candidates for a free remedy.'
On May 10, 2007, Mathew saw his Ford erupt into flames in Carmel, California.
It started under the hood and spread throughout the rest of the vehicle, our carport and other vehicle. The fire department was called and responded immediately. The result was the complete destruction of the Ford as well as our adjacent 2001 Cheverolet Tahoe.
Not far away in Walnut Creek, Michael saw his Ford on fire.
I looked out the front window and a thick cloud of smoke was coming out from under the hood. I grabbed a fire extinguisher and rushed out to the vehicle. I could not open the hood or get too close to the vehicle due to the flames and smoke that was pouring out, he said.
At the time of the 2006 recall, a NHTSA spokesman described the probe as "one of the most exhaustive investigations that we've ever done" and said the agency did not expect any additional recalls.
Flaming Fords
• Last Friday, August 3, Ford announced it was recalling as many as 3.6 million cars, truck, and vans because a switch that deactivates the speed control can overheat and catch fire according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (Unfavorable news often is released on Friday afternoon, when it is least likely to be noticed by a public focused on the upcoming weekend).
• In August 2006, Ford and NHTSA recalled the 1994-2002 F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 F-Super Duty trucks, 2000-2002 Excursion SUVs, 1994-1996 Econoline vans and 1996-2002 E-450 vans, and 1998 Explorers and Mountaineers.
• In September 2005, Ford recalled 3.8 million pickups and SUVs from the 1994-2002 model years, including the top-selling F-150 pickup, because of the concerns over engine fires. The recall was the fifth-largest auto industry recall in U.S. history.
• In January 2005, Ford recalled nearly 800,000 pickups and SUVs from the 2000 model year because of similar issues.
Roughly 20 million of the defective switches are installed in vehicles but investigators said they did not detect similar problems in non-Ford vehicles.
Wrong Again
But the bureaucrats at NHTSA have been wrong each time they proclaimed the problem solved. None of the earlier recalls included every Ford that might catch fire.
On March 13, 2007 David was driving through Lynchburg, Virginia.
I was driving down the road when the 1991 Ford Explorer I was driving caught fire. The door locked and I had to climb out the rear window. It burned and cracked the windshield the heat was so intense, he wrote ConsumerAffair.Com.
The most recent recall covers 16 models and brands of Ford cars, sport utility vehicles and trucks from model years 1992 to 2004.
The models include the Ford Ranger, Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, Lincoln Town Car, Lincoln Mark VIII, Ford Taurus SHO, Mercury Capri, Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer, Ford Explorer Sport and Explorer Sport Trac, Ford E-150-350, Ford E-450, Ford Bronco, Ford F-150 Lightning, some models of F-Series trucks and Ford F53 Motor Home chassis.
The recall brings the total number of Ford vehicles identified as potential fire hazards to almost 11 million since 1999.
Ford's spinmasters proclaimed that the latest recall was needed "to address customer concerns" stemming from previous recalls involving the switch.
Gail saw her Eddie Bauer Ford Explorer erupt in flames on March 29, 2007. My son brought it home from work, and 10 minutes later a neighbor came to our door saying it was on fire.
We were barely able to get out of our house because of the thick, black smoke blowing up our driving and into the house. I ran out with my son, and the fire was coming out of the hood and then from under the hood. Gail wrote.
Another few minutes and our house would have been gone. Our garage door caught on fire but the Firemen put out the fire before it went into the rest of the house.
The steering column is melted, she said.
Ford claims that none of the vehicles involved in the latest recall have experienced an abnormal number of fires. That may be but ConsumerAffairs.com has received more than 150 complaints of fires in Ford trucks and cars since the recall last August that was supposed to remedy the problem once and for all.
One Small Switch
The culprit in all this is a small switch that shuts off the cruise control when the driver firmly steps on the brakes. The switch is located under the hood of the vehicle and is attached to the brake master cylinder on one end and wired to the cruise control on the other.
The switch is powered at all times, even when the vehicle is turned off. In some cases fluid leaking the switch could cause it to short-circuit, which can cause a fire. Most of the fires occur when the vehicle is parked and unattended.
A Mercury Grand Marquis caught fire on June 11, 2007 in Fallbrook, California.
Well my 1994 Mercury Grand Marquis burst into flame after sitting idle for about 3 hours destroying the car and damaging one next to it, Ivan told ConsumerAffairs.com.
The latest recall will begin on August 13. Vehicle owners will have the cruise control switch, also called the speed control switch, deactivated as an interim repair. When new parts are available, which is expected in October.
Recalled Models
Models recalled in the latest round-up include:
- Bronco, 1993
- Crown Victoria, 1992-1998
- E150, 1992-1993 and 1997-2002
- E250, 1992 -1993 and 1997-2003
- E450, 2003
- Explorer, 1991-2001
- Explorer Sport, 2001-2002
- Explorer Sport Trac, 2002-2002
- F150 Lightening, 2003-2004
- F150, 1993
- F250, 1993
- F350, 1003
- F450m 1995-2002
- F53 Motor Home, 1995-2002
- Ranger, 1995-2002
- Taurus, 1993-1995
- Lincoln Mark VII, 1993-1998
- Lincoln Town Car, 1992-1998
- Mercury Capri, 1994
- Mercury Grand Marquis, 1992-1998
- Mercury Mountaineer, 1999-2001
Black Eye
The long-running series of destructive fires -- and Ford's stonewalling of its customers -- has given the company a black eye as it struggles to remain in business.
No one really knows how much property damage, catastrophic financial loss and personal deaths and injuries have been caused by the fires.
On Friday, April 6, 2007, at around 850 in the evening, my 18-year-old daughter had gotten into our 1994 Ford Explorer, cranked it up, turned on the heater, backed up in the driveway, and called my wife complaining about smoke coming out of the air conditioning vents, 1994 Ford Explorer owner Shelton of Parrish, Fla., wrote ConsumerAffairs.com.
"She said something was glowing from under the right front of the car. She got out of the car while it was starting to catch fire, he wrote.
After the local fire department extinguished the blaze, the 1994 Ford Explorer was a complete loss, with damage to the driveway as well.
Ford told Shelton in a letter that there was nothing the company could or would do beyond the warranty period, according to a copy of the letter provided by Shelton:
Dear Shelton,
Our records indicate that you contacted the Ford Customer Relationship Center and our Customer Care Representative advised you that there is no assistance beyond warranty and there is no recall pertaining to the fire.
At this time we are unable to provide you with an alternate response. If any additional information regarding this matter should become available in the future, please let us know.
Shelton said he is not a greedy man. He was only asking Ford for the value of his 1994 Ford Explorer and damages to the driveway.
"My daughter narrowly escaped the fire," he wrote. But he considers himself lucky. "If she had been driving down the road minutes later, she would have died as a result of the fire."
After more than 150 reports to ConsumerAffairs.com of Ford trucks catching on fire for no apparent reason, many readers and owners of the Ford trucks have adopted a new self-defense tactic: they no longer park the vehicles near their house or in their garage.
Finally, in Flower Mound, Texas at 12:00am June 13, 2007 Charlene was woken up by a strange sound and a glow in my home. I looked out the front door to see what it was. I was not prepared for the inferno of fire that had in gulfed my 2000 Ford Expedition in my driveway, she said.
I then woke my husband by screaming that we had to get our 3 year old daughter from upstairs and get out of the house because the flames were reaching our eaves of the house.
Thank God for the Flower Mound Fire Department, Charlene said.
