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Another Ford Fire: Park That Ford on the Street! IV
By James B. Bleeker
On July 28, 2005, KIRO 7 TV of Seattle, Washington, reported yet another Ford fire. This one involved a 1998 Ford Expedition sport utility vehicle. Per an independent investigator hired by the television station, the fire originated in the vicinity of Ford's notorious cruise control deactivation switch; however, as this device was completely incinerated, the investigator could go no further in attributing source or cause.
As has often been typical in other reported Ford fire accounts, the owner of the Ford Expedition stated that the vehicle had not been in use for several hours. However, interesting is the speed of vehicle conflagration. The owner stated that he took a look at his vehicle from the fourth floor of his home when the horn started and noticed no fire, but by the time he got to the ground floor, the vehicle was engulfed in 8-foot flames.
The television station's web page also reports another fire of a 1998 Ford Expedition. It states that a woman went into a local grocery store and came out 5 minutes later to find her vehicle on fire.
In addition, the web page states that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration now has more than 520 complaints of fires involving Ford motor vehicles and that there is currently at least one lawsuit in Washington state involving a Ford fire.
Presently, about 750,000 2000 Ford pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles are under recall for replacement of the cruise control deactivation switch and about 3.7 million 1995-1999 and 2001-2002 Ford pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles are under investigation for possible recall. However, NHTSA officials have stated that as many as 16 million Ford vehicles have the same or similar cruise control deactivation switch.
With a recall prospect as high as 16 million, Ford may resist any further recalls, preferring to fight in court. Favoring Ford would be the fact that the fires often incinerate the evidence. However, if a class action status is granted, things look less favorable for Ford.
The following table provides a brief chronology of events pertaining to Ford's deactivation switch and reported fires.
Chronology of Events regarding Ford's Cruise Control Deactivation Switch and Reported Fires
November 2004 NHTSA commences an investigation of Ford pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles after 36 reports of fire. January 2005 In the U.S., Ford Motor Company issues a safety recall of 750,000 2000 Ford F-150 pickup trucks, Ford Expedition sport utility vehicles, and Lincoln Navigator sport utility vehicles for replacement of the cruise control deactivation switch. See "Ford's 2005 U.S. Safety Recalls Leap Past GM's: Ford Recalls About 750,000 Ford and Lincoln Pickups and SUVs in U.S." Auto on Info, January 2005. March 2005 NHTSA expands its investigation to include 3.7 million 1995-1999 and 2001-2002 Ford F-150 pickup trucks, Ford Expedition sport utility vehicles, and Lincoln Navigator sport utility vehicles based on 218 complaints of engine-area fires. See "NHTSA Begins Investigating 3.7 Million Ford Pickup Trucks and SUVs: Oh Dear! The Garage Is Ablaze." Auto on Info, March 2005. May 2005 KPRC of Houston, Texas reports that a local fire marshal's office confirmed that a fire originated in the engine-area of a 2001 Ford F-150 pickup truck and that a safety expert recommends parking a Ford vehicle currently under investigation by NHTSA for an increased risk of fire well away from the home. Auto on Info notes the recommendation in a May article entitled "Park That Ford on the Street!" June 2005 The Tampa Tribune reports two lawsuits alleging fires resulting from the cruise control deactivation switch and the Associated Press reports a lawsuit against Ford alleging that its deactivation switch caused the conflagration of a home and the wrongful death of an elderly Iowan woman. See "Park That Ford on the Street! II," Auto on Info, June 2005. July 2005 NHTSA sets a deadline for some answers from Ford and NHTSA officials say that now more than 500 fires have been reported in Ford vehicles and state that 16 million Ford vehicles may have the same or similar cruise control deactivation switch, per Detroit News. See "As Fires Mount, NHTSA Puts the Heat on Ford: Park That Ford on the Street! III," Auto on Info, July 2005. KIRO 7 of Washington state reports two 1998 Ford Expedition sport utility vehicle fires and one Washington lawsuit involving an unspecified Ford fire. The article provides a good description of the speed of conflagration and a good photograph of the hulk remaining after incineration.
Source for Washington state Ford fires: "Switch Suspected of Causing SUV Fires: Cruise Control Switch Examined in Connection with Fires," KIRO 7, July 28, 2005, at http://www.kirotv.com/money/4777547/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
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