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Feds Warn Some Ford Trucks and Cars Can Erupt in Flames

After years of disastrous fires, NHTSA urges Ford owners to act quickly

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

February 28, 2008    Spanish

ConsumerAffairs.com has been reporting on the problem for years, chronicling fires in vehicles parked outside homes, in garages and even at fire stations.

In a highly usual statement, NHTSA urged owners of the recalled vehicles to go to a Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealer as soon as possible and have the cruise control system disconnected.

The unrepaired Ford, Lincoln and Mercury SUVs, pickup trucks, vans and certain passenger cars contain a safety defect that could cause the vehicle to erupt into flames, according to the NHTSA statement.

"Failure to have the switch disconnected could lead to a vehicle fire at any time, whether or not the key is in the ignition, and whether or not owners use the cruise control system," NHTSA warned in the consumer advisory.

The safety agency said the fire danger is present regardless of the age of the vehicle, and could even occur while the vehicle is parked and unattended. Several dwelling fires have been attributed to the problem.

Many dealers will perform a short-term fix as a “drive-through” service so owners do not have to leave their vehicles at the dealership or schedule an appointment in advance, according to NHTSA.

NHTSA said it is issuing the unusual consumer advisory because of concerns that many owners have yet to respond to multiple safety defect recall notifications involving almost 10 million registered vehicles.

NHTSA reported that approximately five million vehicles have been repaired so far, leaving some five million passenger cars and light trucks with the faulty switches intact, and in danger of catching fire at any time without warning.

The drive-through repair is an interim safety measure but will eliminate the risk of fire while affected Ford and Mercury owners are waiting for final repairs from the company, NHTSA said.

Ford is in the process of re-notifying owners of the SUVs and other light trucks concerning the importance of having the switch disconnected.

The involved vehicles are:

1. 1993 – 2004 F150
2. 1993 – 1999 F250 (gasoline engine)
3. 1993 – 1996 Bronco
4. 1994 – 1996 Econoline
5. 1997 – 2002 Ford Expedition
6. 1998 – 2002 Lincoln Navigator
7. 1998 – 2002 Ford Ranger
8. 1992 – 1998 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car
9. 1993 – 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII
10. 1993 – 1995 Ford Taurus SHO with automatic transmission
11. 1994 – Mercury Capri
12. 1998 – 2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer
13. 2001 – 2002 Ford Explorer Sport and Explorer Sport Trac
14. 1992 – 1993 and 1997 – 2003 Ford E-150-350 gasoline or natural gas vehicles
15. 2002 – E-550 gasoline engine vehicles
16. 1996 – 2003 E-450 gasoline or natural gas vehicles
17. 1994 – 2002 F-250 through F-550 super Duty trucks (gasoline engine)
18. 2000 – 2002 Ford Excursion (gasoline engine)
19. 2003 – F250 – F550 Super Duty, Ford Excursion
20. 1995 – 2002 Ford F53 Motor home chassis
21. 2002 – 2003 Lincoln Blackwood

Latest fires

The firestorm of Ford trucks erupting into flames most recently struck in two more states, devastating Ford truck owners in Minnesota and California.

The Ford inferno hit a homeowner in Chisago City, Minnesota last month when her 2000 Ford Expedition “started on fire parked in our attached garage. We have now lost everything we owned,” wrote the Ford Expedition owner. “The home we built not even 2 years ago burned to the ground,” she said.

Aftermath of the Chisago City, Minn., fire

Neighbors of the burned-out Chisago City homeowners are helping their friends. "Rob and Gina's house burned," wrote a friend. "Fortunately, they got out of the house with their 2 daughters."

"The fire is being investigated, but it started in Gina's truck. Rob opened up the mudroom door and the entire car was engulfed in flames," he said. "Everything, including both their cars were torched."

"This will be a hard time for the children and for Rob and Gina. I am hoping we can get together and help their kids," the neighbor wrote to friends.

California fire

While the Minnesota fire is still under investigation, a second Ford truck went up in flames in Westminster, California on January 22. This home owner is fortunate. He lost only his Ford truck and not his house as well.

The California Ford owner had parked his truck in the driveway following a brief 20-minute drive.

“Approximately one hour later, about 3:30 in the afternoon, the engine compartment was on fire and became engulfed within minutes,” he said.

“A neighbor's daughter saw the fire and her dad and a friend came to our house and helped put out the fire with a garden hose before it could catch fire to the front of our house,” according to the ConsumerAffairs.com reader.

The fire department told the Ford truck owner that “the origin of the fire was on the driver's side of the vehicle near and around the master cylinder.”

That would place the origin of the truck fire in the area of the cruise control system which the Ford Motor Co. is struggling to recall.

Ford admits a parts shortage is preventing the automaker from repairing all of the recalled Ford cars and trucks recalled for a faulty cruise control system until sometime later in 2008. The automaker has no specific time table for completion of the recall.

As a short-term solution, Ford offers to disconnect the cruise control system in recalled vehicles until parts are available to complete the repair.

1.8 million at risk

More than 1.8 million Ford cars and trucks remain at risk 5 months after the automaker recalled an additional 3.6 million vehicles because of the fire hazard in the cruise control system.

A Ford spokesman insists the automaker is doing all it can to complete the fire hazard recall.

“This was a large recall, and we're working with the supplier to meet the volume challenge as soon aspossible,” said Ford's Dan Jarvis.

A Mississippi consumer has had it with Ford because of the confusion surrounding the recall.

“My mother's 1988 Grand Marquis caught fire and was damaged and repaired with recall notice coming month later,” he said. “She now drives my 1997 Lincoln Town Car and there was a safety recall in July with parts due in November. Now we are told February,” he said.

Ford would not offer an explanation for the recall delay to their Sumrall, Mississippi customer so he got rid of the Lincoln and bought his mother a Lexus.

The recall delay adds to an already troubling situation for many Ford consumers faced with the cruise control recall. The consequences are sometimes devastating.

Faced with continuing delays, some Ford customers are reluctant to go along with the automaker's interim solution to deactivate the cruise control system.

Some Ford dealers now require customers who decline to disconnect the cruise control system to sign a waiver of liability.

With just more than half of the fire-prone Fords repaired, the automaker insists the company is responding adequately in an effort to notify Ford customers to return their vehicles to a Ford dealership for repair of the fire hazard.

“We have sent multiple mailings to customers, based on current vehicle registrations, asking them to bring in vehicles. I don't have an exact figure, but about half of the total have done so to date. We have one of the highest return rates in the industry, based on update registration info, and sending multiple mailings,” Ford spokesman Jarvis said in an email response to ConsumerAffairs.com.

Ford, however, continues to deny any responsibility for fires caused by its trucks. It tells burned-out customers to talk to their insurance agents.

More Ford Fire Stories

Photos furnished by ConsumerAffairs.com readers

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