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A Partial History of Ford Motor Company's Incendiary Problem and
Recalls
by James Bleeker
A history of the highlights of Ford's incendiary problem
through May of 2008 appears in the
following table.
|
Partial Chronology
of Events regarding Ford Motor Company's Cruise-Control
Deactivation Switch and Reported Fires |
|
November 2004 |
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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.
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. |
|
September 2005 |
Ford
Motor Company announces a safety recall of 3.8 million
1994-2002 Ford F-150 pickup trucks, 1997-2002
Ford Expedition sport utility vehicles, 1998-2002
Lincoln Navigator sport utility vehicles, and
1994-1996 Ford Bronco sport utility vehicles
(when the last was factory-equipped with cruise control)
for the cruise-control-caused fire hazard. |
|
December 2005 |
Ford
announces that the wiring harness - a circuit breaker of
sorts - that it plans to insert to prevent engine fires
in its sport utility vehicles and pickups will not be
available until February 2006. |
| August
2006 |
Ford
Motor Company announces a safety recall of an additional
1.2 million 1994-2002 F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550
F-Super Duty pickup trucks, 2000-2002 Ford
Excursion sport-utility vehicles, 1994-1996
Econoline vans, 1996-2002 E-450 vans, and
1998 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer
sport-utility vehicles for the cruise-control-caused
fire hazard. |
| April
2007 |
Ford
Motor Company announces a safety recall of an additional
155,584 2002-2003 E-550 vans, 2003 F-150,
F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550
pickups, 2003 Excursion sport-utility vehicles,
and 2003 Lincoln Blackwood pickups for its
cruise-control deactivation switch that may corrode,
overheat, and cause a fire. |
| August
2007 |
Ford
Motor Company announces a safety recall of an additional
3.6 million 1998-2002 Ford Ranger pickup trucks,
1992-1997 Lincoln Town Cars, 1992-1997 Ford
Crown Victorias, 1992-1997 Mercury Grand
Marquises, 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIIIs,
1993-1995 Ford Taurus SHOs, 1999-2001 Ford
Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer
sport-utility vehicles, 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport
sport-utility vehicles, 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport
Trac crew cab pickup trucks, 1992-1993 E150-350
vans, 1997-2002 E150-350 vans, 1993 F-Series
pickups, 1993 Ford Bronco sport-utility
vehicles, 1994 Mercury Capris, 2003-2004 Ford
F-150 Lightning pickup trucks, and 1995-2002 Ford
F53 motor homes. |
|
February 2008 |
Ford
Motor Company announces re-recall of 225,000 1992-2003
Ford Econoline vans, 1993-1995 Ford Taurus
SHOs, 1992-1998 Ford Crown Victoria and
Mercury Grand Marquis large cars, 1992-1995
Lincoln Town Cars, 1993 Ford Bronco
sport-utility vehicles, and 1993 and 1995-1997
F-Series pickup trucks to replace defective wiring
harnesses that Ford has offered as a fix to its
incendiary problem. |
| March
2008 |
Ford's Texan lawsuits are consolidated. |
| May
2008 |
NHTSA
launches an investigation into the engine-compartment
fires of Ford's Windstar minivan. |
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Note:
While about 16 million vehicles were reported to have a
cruise-control deactivation switch similar or identical
to that within the recalled vehicles, only 9-to-10
million of the 16 million have been recalled, so this
saga may have a long life to come. |
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Disclosure |
Site manager is currently a
very small shareholder of Ford Motor Company (2010-04-27). I am not,
and have not been, a
shareholder of any other motor vehicle manufacturer. |
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PDF file of this page is available for downloading.
|
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