Auto on Info: Car News and Commentary January 2008: Ford Cuts GM Lead in Cumulative U.S. Safety Recalls for Years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, by James Bleeker

Ford Motor Company recalled 5.5 million motor vehicles in the U.S. in 2007 (excluding passenger cars by its Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo divisions and excluding large trucks), more than 10 times the number recalled by General Motors Corporation and about 45% of the 12.5 million cars, vans, sport-utility vehicles, and pickup trucks recalled in 2007 pursuant to U.S. safety standards. This cut GM's cumulative lead in U.S. safety recalls to a mere 3.4 million vehicles. The following chart depicts the cumulative totals for the 4 largest auto manufacturers by U.S. sales, for the calendar years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

Of the 5.5 million vehicles recalled by Ford in 2007, 3.6 million were part of Ford's ongoing incendiary saga. The following table summarizes that saga.

Chronology of Events regarding Ford Motor Company'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. See "Another Ford Fire: Park That Ford on the Street! IV," Auto on Info, July 2005.
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. See "Fire Hazard Prompts Ford to Recall 4 Million Vehicles," Auto on Info, September 2005.
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. See "Toyota, Honda, Ford, Mercedes, GM, and Volvo Recall a Batch; Ford's 'Solution' to Its Incendiary Problem Will Not Be Available until February," Auto on Info, December 2005.
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. See "Ford Announces Recall of 1.2 Million More Incendiaries, But No New Relief for Owners of GM's Runaways, Collapsing Tailgates, and Engine Knockers," Auto on Info, August 2006.
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. See "U.S. Safety Recalls by Land Rover (1), Volkswagen (1), General Motors (2), Saab (1), Chrysler (5), Ford (5, Including Another Fire Hazardous Deactivation Switch Recall), Mazda (1), Nissan (1), Subaru (1), Honda (2), and Toyota (1)," Auto on Info, April 2007.
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. See "Ford Recalls 3.6 Million More Vehicles over Incendiary Concern: Little by Little," Auto on Info, August 2007.

Reliability-Percentrank and Reliability-Grade Tables and Charts
To view tables of Reliability Percentranks and Reliability Grades by vehicle type, click the applicable type.
Small Cars	Sports Cars, Sporty Cars and Coupes	Family Cars and Large Cars	Upscale and Luxury Cars	SUVs	Minivans	Pickups	Manufacturer Averages	All Autos
To view tables of Reliability Percentranks and Reliability Grades by vehicle line, click the applicable line.
Acura	Audi	BMW	Buick	Cadillac	Chevrolet	Chrysler	Dodge	Eagle
Ford	GMC	Honda	Hyundai	Infiniti	Isuzu	Jaguar	Jeep	Kia
Land Rover	Lexus	Lincoln	Mazda	Mercedes-Benz	Mercury	Mini Cooper	Mitsubishi	Nissan
Oldsmobile	Plymouth	Pontiac	Porsche	Saab	Saturn	Scion	Subaru	Suzuki
Toyota	Volkswagen	Volvo
Beginning with the 2007 updates, the Reliability Grades and Reliability Percentranks of motor vehicle lines and types will appear on the same page. This should quicken comparisons.
To view charts of Reliability Percentrank averages and Percentranks and extrapolations, click the applicable line.
Acura	Audi	BMW	Buick	Cadillac	Chevrolet	Chrysler	Dodge	Eagle
Ford	GMC	Honda	Hyundai	Infiniti	Isuzu	Jaguar	Jeep	Kia¹
Land Rover	Lexus	Lincoln	Mazda	Mercedes-Benz	Mercury	Mini Cooper¹	Mitsubishi¹	Nissan
Oldsmobile	Plymouth	Pontiac	Porsche¹	Saab	Saturn	Scion¹	Subaru	Suzuki¹
Toyota	Volkswagen	Volvo
¹Current data are insufficient to warrant charts.
To view tables of the Best and Worst motor vehicle models, click the applicable year.
Best and Worst of 1988	Best and Worst of 1989	Best and Worst of 1990	Best and Worst of 1991	Best and Worst of 1992	Best and Worst of 1993	Best and Worst of 1994	Best and Worst of 1995	Best and Worst of 1996
Best and Worst of 1997	Best and Worst of 1998	Best and Worst of 1999	Best and Worst of 2000	Best and Worst of 2001	Best and Worst of 2002	Best and Worst of 2003	Best and Worst of 2004	Summary
Chart Summary of 2006 Updates	Chart and Table Summary of 2007 Updates	Chart and Table Summary of 2008 Updates
Charts of Gaps
Charts of the Great Gaps	Extrapolations of the Great Gaps
Durability Tables and Charts
Page 1 - Original Durability Page	Page 2 - Results of 2001 Survey	Page 3 - CCC's 15 Most Frequently Stolen	Page 4 - 2001 Summary of Rosters	Page 5 - Top 20 High Mileage	Page 6 - The 2006 Study of Model Year 1998	Page 7 - The 2006 Toyota Age Equivalents for Model Year 1998	Page 8 - The 2006 Honda Age Equivalents for Model Year 1998	Page 9 - The 2007 Dilapidation Rates for Model Years 1998 - 2002
Page 10 - The 2007 Study of Model Year 1999	Page 11 - The 2007 Toyota Age Equivalents for Model Year 1999	Page 12 - The 2007 Honda Age Equivalents for Model Year 1999	Page 13 - 2007 Pickup Durability Updates for Model Years 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001	Roster of 300,000-Mile Vehicles with Statistical Summary	Mini-Survey No. 52: A Toyota Owner Satisfaction Poll with Enquiries into Toyota Durability

On-site Commercial Pages and Sections with Names, Icons, and Links to Amazon.com and PicassoMio.com - Please shop at Amazon.com and PicassoMio.com via Auto on Info. Thank you.
	Auto and Business Books and Periodicals: Auto Service and Repair Manuals - Auto Lit - Biz Lit
	Links to the Net's and Planet's Leading Merchants: The Links
	The Mart: Dressing Up for the Trip: Designers - The Houses: Men's Fine Ties, Women's Fine Perfumes, Designers, Designer Key Rings, Wallets, and Bags: Designer Key Rings and Key Cases, Designer Wallets, Designer Clutches, Designer Hand