Auto on Info: Car News and Commentary February 2008: NHTSA Investigates GM SUV Fires: Is Ford's Incendiary Problem the Envy of GM?, by James Bleeker

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced in mid-February that it is investigating 423,000 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport-utility vehicles for a possible fire hazard. The Chevrolet Tahoe and the GMC Yukon are products of General Motors Corporation.

While NHTSA states that the number of reported engine fires are two, the fires are reminiscent of several of those of Ford Motor Company in the following respects:

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.
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. See "Ford's Interminable Incendiary Saga: Ford Motor Company Re-Recalls 225,000 Vehicles for Faulty Fire Fix," Auto on Info, February 2008.
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 about 9 million of the 16 million have been recalled, so this saga may have a long life to come.

It will be difficult for General Motors to match Ford's incendiary recall; however, a recall of 423,000 vehicles would help it widen its lead in cumulative safety recalls (provided that Ford doesn't recall an additional 7 million possible incendiaries of its own), as the following chart helps depict.

Sources for NHTSA's investigation: "Defect Investigation Summary," National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, available at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov and "US Probes Fire Reports in GM's SUVs," February 11, 2008, the Associated Press, available at Yahoo! News

The following poll permits the reader to express his assessment on General Motors Corporation.

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