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Ford Fires Continue Despite Much-Delayed Federal Warning

Feds waited years to issue 'urgent' advisory about fire danger

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

March 5, 2008

The rash of Ford Motor Co. vehicle fires has destroyed homes, trucks and cars, sometimes killing people and family pets. ConsumerAffairs.com has received 15 reports of Ford vehicles erupting into flames since the first of the year. No one knows precisely how many fires have occurred or how many lives have been lost.

On February 28, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) -- years after it first learned of the problem -- took the unusual step of issuing what it called an "urgent warning" to more than 5 million owners of Ford vehicles that are likely to catch fire.

The safety agency advised that 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,” NHTSA noted.

NHTSA urged owners of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and some passengers cars that are equipped with the faulty cruise control system to have the system disconnected immediately before the vehicle catches fire.

Disconnecting the system is a temporary solution that is necessary because Ford has failed to obtain the necessary parts to properly repair the recalled vehicles.

Too late

But the federal agency's "urgent" warning came too late for many Ford owners.

• A Vidor, Texas man saw his mother's truck burning out of control less than a week after federal safety regulators issued the consumer advisory.

“I heard a loud BOOM and then horns going off. I thought it was a wreck. When I looked outside a large gulf of flames was burning dangerously close to the house and truck,” he said. “We kept the flames from hitting the house until fire department got there.”

The outrageous -- but common -- story of Ford vehicles catching fire was reported over and again throughout the country in February as NHTSA talked and worried in internal agency meetings about whether to issue the consumer advisory.

• On February 27 in Granite City, Illinois, the day before the NHTSA warning, a 2001 Ford F150 burned.

“I was awakened by 2 small booms about a minute apart. I got up to check things out to find my 2001 F150 in the driveway fully engulfed in flames as well as my boat parked about 15 feet away beginning to burn,” the Illinois truck owner reported. “The truck, boat, contents, asphalt driveway are total losses,” he said.

• A day later in Monticello, Florida a Ford F150 burned in a shopping center parking lot while the owner was inside a store.

• In early February in Fairview, New Mexico a 1997 Ford F150 burst into flames. “We heard a loud boom which caused the dogs to start barking,” the truck owner said. When the Monticello fire department arrived 30 minutes later the truck was still burning.

• An Orange Park, Florida Ford owner reported February 9 that his 1999 Lincoln Navigator caught fire and was destroyed.

• On February 9 a 1999 Ford Explorer caught fire in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

“I had just parked at a Burger King for lunch. The truck caught fire minutes after I enter the restaurant,” the owner said. “The truck was fully engulfed when firefighters finally put out the fire. I am grateful no one was in the vehicle at the time but I am out the only truck I owned.”

The Rhode Island Explorer owner told ConsumerAffairs.com that he was not aware of the recall issued in issued on August 2007 and said he was never notified of the important recall even though he had owned the vehicle for many years.

• On February 4, a Ford F150 Lariat caught fire in Virginia Beach, Virginia, even though the cruise control switch was previously repaired under the terms of the August recall.

• In Alta Loma, California a ConsumerAffairs.com reader found his Ford truck on fire while eating lunch at home. “Surprisingly every Ford rep was extremely rude and acted as though it's my problem not theirs,” this Ford truck owner reported.

• On January 22, a Ford Expedition XLT caught fire in Westminster California.

”After driving the vehicle for approximately 20 minutes it was parked in the driveway,” the owner said. “Approximately 1 hour later the engine compartment was on fire and became engulfed within minutes. Fortunately the vehicle was not in the garage.”

As the rampage continues, NHTSA safety officials are warning people with the recalled Ford cars, trucks and vans to bring their vehicles to a dealer repair shop immediately to have the cruise control switch disconnected.

NHTSA reported that many dealers will perform the temporary fix as a “drive-through” service so owners do not have to leave their vehicles at the dealership or schedule an appointment in advance.

There was no indication from the federal safety agency whether any steps have been taken to require Ford to produce the needed parts for a permanent repair.

5 million to go

Almost five million vehicles have been repaired, according to Ford, leaving more than five million passenger cars and light trucks on roads, parking lots, driveways and garages throughout the country with the faulty switches intact and in danger of catching fire.

In early February, the automaker was placed in the embarrassing position of having to recall 225,000 Fords for the second time to repair the fire prone cruise control system. Ford concluded that the initial recall to prevent a fire was ineffective because the replacement part failed to function as promised.

Ford vehicles covered by the second recall include the gasoline-powered 1992 to 2003 Econoline, 1992 to 1998 Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis, 1993 Bronco, 1995 to 1997 F series pick up, 1993 F series pick up, the 1993 to 1995 Taurus SHO and the 1992 to 1995 Town Car.

The clumsy and confusing Ford management of the recall is destroying the trust many Ford owners once had for the venerable automaker as they are put off time and again by dealers without the necessary parts to repair the fire hazard.

• A Rochester Hills, Michigan Ford Ranger owner reported the automaker has delayed repairs for his truck twice. “Ford is obviously not much concerned about timely corrections of safety issues,” he said.

• In Orange City, Florida a Ford truck owner immediately took his Ranger to the dealer when the August, 2007 recall was first announced. “I had the cruise control disconnected in August 2007 and the part is still not available” to complete the repair, he said.

• A 1999 Ford Ranger owner in Ranier, Minnesota heard the same excuse from Ford.

“I am still waiting parts for the Ford cruise control recall to become available to my local dealer. I drive a 1999 Ford Ranger and cover long distances several time a month. The dealer has expressed frustration with Ford's inability to make the repair parts available or to even give a reasonable date they could be expected,” he told ConsumerAffairs.com.

Ford issued the same excuse to a motor home owner in Lakeland, Florida.”We had to cancel our spring trip as we have on idea when or if Ford will get around to sending a kit for our repair,” the retired Ford owner told us.

2 attempts

One Pennsylvania Ford owner was able to find a dealer with the parts to repair the cruise control switch but the repair took two attempts by a Ford technician.

“They replaced the switch on the brake master cylinder and added a fused link into the connecting harness. When I arrived back home I took a look at what had been done and noticed what appeared to be fluid appearing around the crimp of the switch,” he said.

The truck owner returned for a second time to the Ford dealer. “The dealer then took my truck inside and replaced the replacement switch. This does not give me a secure feeling knowing the new switch immediately leaked. Something needs to be done about this problem. This has gone on far too long without a satisfactory solution. How can I trust this?” he asked.

The inability of ford to provide parts to complete the recall is repeated over and again throughout the country.

In Tucson, Arizona: “Ford didn't have the recall part so they disconnected the speed control. Said they'd have the part in a month and to come back then. Called just before Christmas. Told part not in. Called back January. Called back in February. Told part not in. Meanwhile I have no speed control since last Fall. I live in a big state. Is there any way to light a fire under Ford,” he asked. “I'm tired of the stonewalling.”

Without the proper Ford parts, the interim repair is all that is left to Ford owners driving the dangerous and fire-prone vehicles. NHTSA assures consumers that the fix will eliminate the risk of fire while affected Ford and Mercury owners are waiting for final repairs from the trouble automaker.

Here is the list of Ford vehicles, according to NHTSA, that ought to be taken to a Ford dealer and repaired immediately:

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

Ford truck and SUV owners wanting more information about the fire danger in their vehicle or the recall may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673 or NHTSA 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).

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