Ford Motor Company has recalled hundreds of thousands of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles due to a faulty cruise control switch that can short and cause the vehicles to burst into flames. If you own a Ford Motor Company product and have experienced a vehicle fire you may be entitled to compensation.

Ford Motor Company — the second-largest U.S. automaker — has announced a voluntary recall of millions of its popular pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles due to a fire risk.

Ford is recalling the vehicles because their cruise-control switches could short circuit and start a fire under the hood while parked, the automaker said Thursday.

“This is a ticking time bomb ready to go off and something needs to be done,” Bob Garcia, owner of a Ford F-150, told NBC News. Garcia's pickup caught fire nine hours after he parked it at his home. The fire destroyed his truck and part of his home before firefighters arrived.

If you have experienced problems with your Ford car, truck or SUV or have experienced a Ford car, truck or SUV fire contact the lawyers of Ennis & Ennis, P.A. about a Ford recall lawsuit. Ennis & Ennis, P.A. specializes personal injury and product liability cases. With offices throughout Florida and in Washington DC we are taking cases nationwide.

The complete list of recalled vehicles is as follows:

Cars
1992-1998 Ford Crown Victoria
1992-1997 Lincoln Town Car
1992-1997 Mercury Grand Marquis
1993-1995 Ford Taurus SHO
1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII
1994 Mercury Capri

SUVs
1993-1996 Ford Bronco
1997-2002 Ford Expedition
1998-2001 Ford Explorer
1998-2001 Mercury Mountaineer
1998-2002 Lincoln Navigator
2000-2003 Ford Excursion
2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport
2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac

Pick-up Trucks
1993-2003 Ford F-150
1993-2003 Ford F-250
1993-2003 Ford F-350
1993-2003 Ford F-450
1993-2003 Ford F-550
1993-2002 F-Super Duty
2001 F-Series Super Crew
2002-2003 Lincoln Blackwood
2003-2004 Ford F-150 Lightning

Vans
1992-1993, 1997-2002 E150-350
1994-1996 Ford Econoline
1996-2002 Ford E-450 1995-2002 Ford F53 Motor Home

Diesel engine equipped vehicles are excluded from recall.

Models included in the newest action October 2009 expanded recall
1995-2003 Ford Windstars.
2000-2003 Ford Excursion diesels.
1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesels.
1992-2003 Ford Econolines.

1995-2002 Ford Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers.

1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Ford Rangers.
1994 Ford F53 motorhomes.

One Ford source tells NBC that the recall is “significant.”

According to Ford, vehicle owners have reported that the cruise control on their vehicles has malfunctioned before they shut down the engine. The mechanism that shuts off the speed control may overheat, eventually causing a fire, Ford said.

“We're getting flame literally falling on other plastic components,” said Florida mechanic Larry Perry.

Perry says even when the engine is turned off, power flows to the switch, causing it to overheat and start a fire.  “All it takes is a little more heat, a little more flame, you've got a vehicle you can’t put out.”

Ford says it knows of 63 alleged vehicle fires and of one alleged injury associated with a fire. No deaths have been reported, but the instances of fires appear to be increasing, the car company said.

Ford said the cruise control will be disabled once the switch is deactivated.

“We recognize this may be an inconvenience, but we believe this preventive action is in the best interest of our customers’ safety,” the company said.

Timeline Of Events

***Breaking Ford Fire Recall News***

Ford expands massive recall by 4.5 million, says National Highway Safety
-Weekly Driver
10/16/2009 - Once week after Toyota recalled 3.5 million cars, Ford Motor Co has dubiously and decisively one-upped the Japanese manufacturer by expanding its massive vehicle recall linked to faulty cruise control switches by 4.5 million vehicles. More>>>

Feds Re-Issue Massive Recall Over Ford, Lincoln, Mercury Engine Fires
-U.S.News
09/12/2008- The federal government ordered one of the largest recalls in history earlier this year, recalling up to 12 million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury SUVs, pickup trucks, cars and vans due to a defective cruise control switch that could cause an engine fire at any time -- even when a vehicle had been parked and turned off for hours.    Today, the government is taking the rare step of reissuing the recall. More>>>

CONSUMER ADVISORY: Five Million Unrepaired Fords, Lincolns and Mercurys Could Pose Serious Fire Hazard to Vehicles and Dwellings
-NHTSA
09/12/2008- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is urging owners of certain Ford, Lincoln and Mercury SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and passenger cars to take their vehicles to a local dealership for a corrective repair. More>>>

Ford News Archive>>>

If you have experienced problems with your Ford, Lincoln or Mercury car, SUV or truck or have experienced a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury car, SUV or truck fire contact the lawyers of Ennis & Ennis, P.A. about a Ford fire recall lawsuit. Ennis & Ennis, P.A. specializes personal injury and product liability cases. With offices throughout Florida and in Washington DC we are taking cases nationwide. Fill out our free case evaluation form today to find out if you are eligible for compensation.