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Ford Truck Suspected in North Texas House Fire

Family ignored recall notice on their Ford Expedition

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

May 9, 2008

The fire threatened the lives of 7 people -- Dan and Kim Ford and their 5 children.

The fire began early in the morning. A 13-year-old was awake studying, heard the smoke detector scream and roused the rest of the family.

The Ford Expedtion was parked in the garage. More than 40 firefighters from six fire departments struggled to put out the blaze but their efforts were slowed by an inadequate water supply. "We did have trouble putting as much water on the fire as we were wanting to," a firefighter said.

The automaker had already sent the Expedition owner a recall letter about the SUV, warning that it could catch fire.

"There was a recall on the Ford Expedition," the fire victim told reporters. "We got the paper but we had been so busy we ignored it."

The Detroit automaker is trying to wind up the massive recall of almost 12 million cars and trucks. In some cases Ford has sent repeated recall notices to owners of the fire-prone vehicles.

The latest Texas fires underscores the danger of ignoring the recall.

As many as 5 million Ford vehicles that are part of the almost decade long recall effort may not be repaired and still in use, posing the risk of fire.

NHTSA warning

In a strongly worded and highly unusual statement, NHTSA in February warned owners of the recalled vehicles to go to a Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealer as soon as possible and have the potentially dangerous cruise control system disconnected.

“This condition may occur either when the vehicle is parked or when it is being operated, even if the speed control is not in use,” the statement warned.

"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.

NHTSA advised consumers in the February warning that many Ford dealers would disconnect the switch as a “drive-through” service and interim repair until parts are available.

In the most recent recall notice posted on the Ford Web site, the automaker stopped well short of taking any responsibility for vehicles that already have burned. The automaker said owners “should work with their insurance company to address these concerns.”

Ford insisted in the recall notice that parts for the speed control switch recall are available for passenger cars and owners should contact their dealer to schedule a service appointment to have final repairs completed.

For Ford trucks however, parts are currently available only in limited quantities, according to the automaker.

“Truck vehicle owners will be notified by mail when parts are available to service their vehicles. All truck vehicle owners are expected to be notified by early June, 2008,” the recall notice stated.

According to Ford, when the badly need repair parts are available, the recall involves the installation of a fused wiring harness into the speed control electrical circuit, or the replacement of the deactivation switch if it is found to be leaking. The repair ford said in a statement is “a quick repair, and will be performed on vehicles built between 1992 and 2004.

Ford warned owners of the listed vehicles that the company investigation has "found that if brake fluid leaks through the speed control deactivation switch into the speed control system electrical components, those components may corrode. Together with other conditions, this could lead to overheating, and possibly, a fire at the switch.”

“This condition may occur either when the vehicle is parked or when it is being operated, even if the speed control is not in use,” the statement warned.

A NHTSA spokesman told ConsumerAffairs.com that the agency is "monitoring the recall closely."

Recalled models

The recalled 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

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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