NHTSA Urges Ford Owners To Get Recalled Vehicles Fixed

-Detroit News

10/21/2010 - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urged owners of recalled Ford Motor Co. vehicles over fire risks to get them repaired.

NHTSA asked owners to take action for "vehicles previously recalled for faulty cruise control systems to make sure they take their vehicles into Ford dealers for repairs."

The agency noted that "if not repaired, the vehicles can catch fire, even if they are turned off, parked and unattended."

The agency issued a similar warning to consumers in February 2008.

Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood acknowledged that the repair rate for the vehicles is "lower than typical," but he declined to say how many have been repaired.

"We support NHTSA in this effort and have communicated extensively with customers in an effort to encourage higher repair rates," Sherwood said. "We have notified all owners multiple times and continue to notify affected customers of the recall."

NHTSA said it is "concerned that most used car buyers don't know whether the used vehicles they purchased were ever returned to dealers for the needed repairs."

According to NHTSA, approximately 17.5 million Ford vehicles have been involved in the recalls since 1999 because of a faulty cruise control disconnect switch that can overheat and burn — potentially causing a vehicle fire long after the engine has been turned off.

Ford and The Detroit News have previously said about 14 million vehicles were recalled — excluding vehicles that have been scrapped. It's not immediately clear what the discrepancy is in the tally.

NHTSA said Ford has been diligent in contacting owners of the affected vehicles, including sending re-notification letters to owners in many cases. Despite notification efforts, NHTSA estimates that there may be several million vehicles still on the road with the dangerous defect.

In October 2009, under pressure from NHTSA, Ford agreed to expand its largest-ever recall by about 4.5 million vehicles over the faulty switch linked to hundreds of vehicle fires.

In total, Ford conducted eight separate recalls over a 10-year period because of the problem.

The cruise-control deactivation switches, made by Texas Instruments and sold for about $21, were installed in 16 million Ford vehicles over a decade before the automaker stopped using them in 2002. The switches have been linked to at least 550 vehicle fires and 1,500 complaints.
The October 2009 recall includes nearly 1.7 million 1995-2003 Ford Windstar minivans that were the subject of a government investigation, along with 2.8 million other vehicles.

The switch is used to deactivate a vehicle's cruise control when a driver taps the brake pedal. Most of the suits allege fires began long after the vehicles were turned off.

Ford's fix is the installation of a fused wiring harness to eliminate the potential risk of fire.

Ford still faces dozens of lawsuits on the issue.

In May 2008, NHTSA opened an investigation into the switches on Ford Windstar vans. It upgraded the probe to an engineering analysis in September 2008 after 419 complaints of engine fires, with at least two saying fires damaged a home or garage.

The agency said owners should look for potential warning signs of an imminent fire. Possible warning symptoms include a cruise control system that can't be activated or stops working; brake lights that stop working; low brake fluid; ABS and brake warning lights that are illuminated on the dashboard; or the inability to get a vehicle out of park.

Ford argued in 2008 that the switches in the Windstar vans were in different configurations than those in the previously recalled vehicles, and therefore didn't need to be replaced.
In many cases, insurance companies initially paid for damage to homes in fires that the owners claim were sparked by Ford vehicles, and then the insurers sued Ford to try to recoup their losses.

If you or a loved one have been injured or suffered property loss due to a recalled Ford Windstar you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Ford Recall Lawyers of Ennis & Ennis, P.A. today for a free case evaluation. Fill out the free case evaluation form on this page or call us toll-free at: 1.800.856.6405.