Ford Recall: Fire in the Hole

Written by Anna Henningsgaard


Ford Motor Company claims that it is unclear whether its cruise control switches arerepparttar fault for over 560 reported fires and explosions in Ford vehicles. Many of these fires broke out whenrepparttar 149603 vehicles were parked in family garages, destroying homes and lives. In cases like thisrepparttar 149604 numbers reported are only a fraction of what has actually occurred, but Ford claims to be doing its best to determinerepparttar 149605 cause ofrepparttar 149606 fires and refuses to declarerepparttar 149607 cruise control switch at fault. Here arerepparttar 149608 facts:

More than 16 million Ford vehicles have rolled out ofrepparttar 149609 lots installed with a cruise control switch that is designed not to switch off. This switch remains hot and powered, even whenrepparttar 149610 car is parked. Only a thin metal sheet separatesrepparttar 149611 switch fromrepparttar 149612 brake fluid line, and only a little extra heat can causerepparttar 149613 switch to combust, dripping flaming fluid over allrepparttar 149614 plastic components, resulting in a full-blown hood fire that is very difficult to extinguish. Many owners have reported explosions, both while driving Ford vehicles and after parking them.

In May of 1999, Ford issued a recall on Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, and Town Car models from 1992-1993. A second recall issued in January of 2005 affected 800,000 vehicles including all 2001 F-Series Super Crews and allrepparttar 149615 year 2000 Expeditions, Navigators, and F-150 Pickups. Even these massive recalls have not solvedrepparttar 149616 problem. As recently as this month reports have come in of vehicle fires in models not covered byrepparttar 149617 recall. A 1999 Expedition caught fire in a family garage after 3 Ford dealerships refused to replace its cruise control switch. Federal investigators are now looking at 3.7 million Ford trucks and SUV’s to determinerepparttar 149618 extent ofrepparttar 149619 danger. This Federal investigation only covers a quarter ofrepparttar 149620 vehicles that could be affected.

A Ford document obtained by CNN showed thatrepparttar 149621 same or similar switch was installed in a total of 16 million vehicles, including:

Mark VII/VIII from 1994-1998

Taurus/Sable and Taurus SHO 2.3 L 1993-1995

Econoline 1992-2003

F-Series 1993-2003

Windstar 1994-2003

Explorer without IVD 1995-2003

Explorer Sport/Sport Trac 2002-2003

Expedition 1997-2003

Ranger 1995-2003

The NHTSA says that of over 560 complaints of spontaneous, non-collision fires, 253 involved unrecalled models. Some cruise control switches that combust malfunction beforehand, but many owners did not observe a problem until their trucks exploded inrepparttar 149622 garage and burned down their homes. Becauserepparttar 149623 power flows torepparttar 149624 switch whenrepparttar 149625 vehicle is turned off, many of these fires broke out inrepparttar 149626 middle ofrepparttar 149627 night, hours after anybody touchedrepparttar 149628 Ford trucks.

Ford Defective Door Attorney Says:

Written by Anna Henningsgaard


Have you or someone you loved owned or ridden in a Ford F150, Ford F250 light-duty, Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator or Lincoln Blackwood model from 1997-2000? These models suffer from a serious defect that threatensrepparttar safety and lives of its passengers. As early as 1995 Ford’s testing on an Expedition revealed a defect inrepparttar 149602 door latching mechanism. It was found that under very light impactrepparttar 149603 doors would unlatch and open, resulting in victims falling fromrepparttar 149604 vehicles, causing paralysis and death. Aware of this serious danger, Ford continued to release these defective models.

In late 1997, Transport Canada ran its own vehicle safety tests and observed this same door latch problem, contacted Ford, and revealedrepparttar 149605 defective doors torepparttar 149606 public. Door latch systems are required byrepparttar 149607 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS 206) to withstandrepparttar 149608 forces of a crash and remain closed, protecting drivers and passengers. The Ford vehicles do not follow this law. Some customers have even observed their Ford door opening while simply driving downrepparttar 149609 road. However, most customers do not become aware ofrepparttar 149610 defect until it threatens their lives in a crash situation. By then it is too late.

Allrepparttar 149611 accidents, injuries, and deaths resulting fromrepparttar 149612 Ford door latch malfunctions could have been easily prevented, since it is alleged that Ford has known aboutrepparttar 149613 illegal, dangerous defect throughoutrepparttar 149614 manufacturing process. Ford has not yet fixedrepparttar 149615 doors. Becauserepparttar 149616 defect is illegal and because Ford knowingly distributed these dangerous vehicles, you may be entitled to monetary compensation from Ford for any injuries you or your family has suffered.

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