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Ford Explorer Fires

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Derek of Omaha (8/3/04):
I parked my roommate's 1998 Ford Explorer in the driveway. The car had been running perfectly fine. About five hours later, a neighbor rang the doorbell and when I looked outside, the Explorer was on fire! Fortunately I was able to put out the fire with a hose (probably a stupid idea to get near the car considering the battery exploded...let alone the fuel line housed in the engine compartment), the fire truck arrived and doused the car but it was already totaled.

Flaming Fords • Ford Recalls Millions of Vehicles to Fix Fire Danger • 1.6 Million Ford Windstars Investigated for Fire Hazard • NHTSA Issues Second Fire Warning for Ford Cars, Trucks, and SUVs • Report: Millions of Fire-Prone Fords Still on the Roads • Ford: Parts Now Available to Fix Faulty Cruise Control • Ford Trucks Burn in Virginia, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina • Feds Probe Ford Windstar for Fire Hazard • Ford Truck Suspected in North Texas House Fire • Ford Cruise Control Fire Strikes Florida Car Dealership • Ford Hopes to Wind Down Recall of Fire-Prone Vehicles • Ford Expedition Suspected in Fatal Ohio Home Fire • Ford Fires Continue Despite Long-Delayed Federal Warning • Feds Warn Some Ford Trucks and Cars Can Erupt in Flames • Ford Fire Lawsuits Spread • Ford Recalls 57,000 More Trucks, SUVS for Fire Hazard • Ford Fires Strike in Minnesota, California • Ford Plans Another Recall to Fix Fire Hazard • Ford Fire Hazard Recall Creeps Along • Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute Continue Ford Fire Tradition • Ford Fires Kill Pets and Spread Despair as Year Ends • Ford Lacks Parts for Fire Recall Repair • New F150 Erupts in Flames as Ford Truck Fires Rage On • Red Hot Texas Car-B-Que • Kerry Vows Action to Get Flaming Fords Off the Road • Flaming Ford Scandal Disgraces Ford, Feds • Ford Tries Again to Fix Fire Problem with Massive Recall • One Ford the Recall Missed • Ford Stops Sales of Big Super Duty, Recalls 2008 Trucks • Ford Recalls 155,000 More Trucks to Fix Fire Hazard • Feds Probe Fires in Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute • Feds Wind Up Ford Engine Fire Probe with Massive Recall • Ford Truck Fires Mount as Recall Rolls Slowly • Ford Trucks Burn As Recall Fiddles • Ford Truck Fire Fix Delayed by Parts Shortage • Ford Recalls 4 Million Trucks to Fix Fire Risk • Nader Demands NHTSA Warn Ford Truck Owners • Wrongful Death Suit Charges House Fire Started in F-150 • Feds Look Deeper for Ford Fire Causes • Recall Leaves Many Questions Unanswered • Houston Lawyers Sue Ford • Ford Recalls Some Fire-Prone Models • Feds Probe Ford F-150 Engine Fires • Ford Recall Was Biggest Ever --- • Bronco • Crown Victoria • Dump truck • Expedition • Explorer • F-150 • Other F-Series Trucks • Focus • Mustang • Ranger Pickup • Taurus • Windstar

The car is a total loss. The engine is completely fried, and the "security latch" that is supposed to undo the hood latch didn't work, so the firemen had to pry open the hood with a crowbar...mangling the hood. My roommate now has no vehicle.

Jack of Greensboro NC (1/29/05):
On January 15th my wife had returned from a short trip from the grocery store in our 1999 Ford Expedition. She had been home for about 45 minutes when I noticed the smell of smoke. I looked out the door to the garage and saw flames coming out from under the hood near the windshield. I quickly took the keys and tried to crank it to get it out of the garage and away from the house. Fortunately it did crank and I was able to get down the driveway about 40 feet.

I tried to put the fire out with a fire extinquisher but it was too far along. The fire department arrived and put the fire out but the vehicle was a total loss. Back in the garage, I noticed a puddle of brake fluid from the hole burned into the master cylinder. I have no doubt that this fire was a result of the cruise control de-activation switch. Our cruise control had stopped working about 4 or 5 months ago. I called the Ford dealer where I purchased from and they had no idea what I was talking about.

Two days later Ford announces the recall which does not include any Expeditions but the 2000 model. I'm sure this problem is in all the early model Expeditions (1997 thru 2002). I feel very lucky that I caught mine in time to save my house and family.

Velma of Newport News VA (11/12/03):
I was visting in Paulsboro because I evacuated for the hurricane that hit 9/2003. My Explorer caught a fire after sitting for 2 hours for no apparent reason. The fire department came and stood there and watched my truck burn because their fire cheif wasn't there. They didn't put out the fire until he arrived.

Christopher of Paisley FL (8/27/03):
Smoke followed by electrical fire rising out from under center dash area of Explorer while underway. Fire and flames destroyed center computer screen, melted dash and caused extensive smoke damage to interior as well as cracked windshield from heat.

Driver and three minor passengers escaped vehicle that was filling with smoke. Smoke and flames severely damaged interior.

Mimi of Florence, KY, writes:
On July 24, 2000 I was on my way to work at Northern Kentucky University where I have been employed for 11 years in my 1996 Ford Explorer. The Saturday before I had the front tires replaced at Sam's Club in Florence, Kentucky. They were Goodyear tires. I also had my oil changed every three months at QuikStop in Florence, Kentucky.

Gail of W. Monroe, LA:
I left my 1994 Ford Explorer in the parking lot and when I came back it had burnt up. No warning--nothing seemed to be wrong.

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