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Visitor support makes this site possible. Please shop at Amazon.com via Auto on Info. Thank you. Men's Watches Men's Watches by Casio Men's Watches by Vanceur Men's Watches by Locman Men's Watches by Movado Men's Watches by Cartier To view more men's watches, icons, and search phrases, click here. Women's Watches Women's Watches by Movado Women's Watches by Van Cleef and Arpels To view more women's watches, icons, and search phrases, click here. Auto on Info June 2005
Park That Ford on the Street! II
By James B. Bleeker
With more fires come more lawsuits.
In May, a Tampa, Florida couple sued Ford Motor Company for a 4:15 a.m. fire that destroyed their 2000 Ford F-150 pickup, scorched the side of their home, and melted the side of their minivan. Insurance investigators determined the cause of the blaze to be Ford's now likely legendary cruise control deactivation switch.
A week later, a Lutz, Florida couple sued Ford for a fire allegedly caused by the same device.
In June, the family of an elderly Westgate, Iowa woman killed in a fire that spread from the garage to the house sued Ford. The attorneys for the family say that an investigation showed that the fire originated in Ford's cruise control deactivation switch; Ford says that its investigation indicates otherwise.
Ford's cruise control deactivation switch has a rather distinctive history.
In March, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the cruise control switches of 3.7 million 1995-1999 and 2001-2002 F-150 pickup trucks and 1997-1999 and 2001-2002 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator sport utility vehicles. (See "NHTSA Begins Investigating 3.7 Million Ford Pickup Trucks and SUVs: Oh Dear! The Garage Is Ablaze." Auto on Info, March 2005.)
Earlier in January, Ford announced a recall of 750,000 model year 2000 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles to replace 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), but made no announcement about the remaining 3.7 million F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles.
So, why not simply recall the additional 3.7 million vehicles? Well, the Tampa Tribune reports that NHTSA investigators think that the same or similar switch could be in 16,000,000 Ford vehicles altogether. A recall of so many might cost a pretty penny, and may cost more than fighting individual lawsuits, provided that Ford has had the good sense not to improve the durability of its vehicles and provided that judges and juries don't take to awarding too hefty punitive damages when they hold against Ford.
And while NHTSA investigates and judges and juries sort things out, Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln owners may want to park their vehicles on uncluttered roadways, well away from other vehicles and buildings. For an auto safety expert's recommendation along these lines, see "NHTSA Begins Investigating 3.7 Million Ford Pickup Trucks and SUVs: Oh Dear! The Garage Is Ablaze." Auto on Info, March 2005.
Sources for lawsuits: "Suit Claims Ford Pickup Caused Fatal Fire," the Associated Press, June 16, 2005, available at Yahoo! News, "Ford Sued over Fatal House Fire," Detroit Free Press, June 17, 2005, at http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/ford17e_20050617.htm, and "Ford Sued over Fires," Baird Helgeson, Tampa Tribune, June 23, 2005, at http://www.tampatrib.com/MGBQD6G29AE.html
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