This one almost slipped past us as we readied for the weekend, but Ford announced a big recall today, involving 3.6 million vehicles with a faulty cruise control switch that could potentially cause a fire. This is essentially a follow-up to the January recall involving 6 mil light trucks for basically the same concern. This newest recall affects about a dozen different Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models from model years 1992-2007. Ford is apparently undertaking this latest recall in response to complaints that the speed control deactivation switch is always on.According to Ford spokesman, Dan Jarvis, "Customers remain concerned about the long-term durability of the speed control system and about the safety of their vehicles." Jarvis admitted that the company had received "a few reports of fires" in Crown Vics already, but no deaths, injuries or accidents from this problem.
The full list of vehicles being recalled is a long one: 1998-2002 Ford Ranger, 1992-1997 Lincoln Town Car, 1992-1997 Ford Crown Victoria, 1992-1997 Mercury Grand Marquis, 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII, 1993-1995 Taurus SHO, 1999-2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer, 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport, 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, 1992-1993 E150-350 vans, 1997-2002 E150-350 vans, 1993 Ford F-Series pickups, 1993 Ford Bronco, 1994 Mercury Capri, 2003-2004 Ford F-150 Lightning, and 1995-2002 Ford F53 motor homes.
Letters will also be sent to 177,000 owners of similar vehicles in Canada, Mexico and Europe.
In case you're counting, and we know some of you are, this is sixth recall for speed control system concerns by Ford since 1999. Altogether there have been 10.4 million vehicles involved.
Thanks for tips, everybody.
[Source: Forbes]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
AlexP @ Aug 3rd 2007 6:49PM
How the hell did this news just pop in between the...
WITCH!!!
I bet half of them aren't even on the roads. :V
AlexP @ Aug 3rd 2007 6:51PM
Uh, something must've gone wrong, because now it's on top...
Yeah, moving on.
joe @ Aug 3rd 2007 7:00PM
Just another day at the office.
Jeff @ Aug 3rd 2007 7:00PM
It would be nice if they actually fixed the problem. They installed a fused harness in my F150. There could still be a current draw where there should not be, but it will blow the fuse before it becomes enough to start a fire. Very poor customer service if you ask me.
I'm done with the big 2.5 for at least the next ten years. They need to prove to me that they have changed for good. Show me long term results. I have spent around $75K over the past ten years on domestic brands, and every one has been less than satisfactory from a reliability standpoint.
ttruck @ Aug 4th 2007 11:56AM
Well Jeff, quit buying Ford products then.
ttruck @ Aug 4th 2007 11:57AM
Well Jeff, quit buying Ford products then.
Gardiner Westbound @ Aug 3rd 2007 7:24PM
Reports say several people have been killed by these things.
It just has to be morally better and cheaper, Ford's primary concern, to make these things right in the first place.
blogged to death @ Aug 7th 2007 9:30AM
There's a total of 16M cars / trucks Ford sold with this cc device. There are video of internal Ford testing showing it's failure and the fiery results. Ford installed it anyway b/c if was cheap.
So there's 9M recalled for this fire hazard (minus the ones that went up in smoke and the houses they burned down) and another ~ 7M Fords to fix this fire hazard (minus the ones that have already and will catch on fire).
Seems Ford constantly finds itself in the middle of a safety concern from fires and their customer's well being. Fool me once (Pinto) shame on you, Fool me twice (cc, ignition coil, ignition switch, plastic manifold fires) shame on me.
Ryan @ Aug 3rd 2007 8:28PM
Quality Job #1
Mani @ Aug 3rd 2007 8:31PM
Yep, another quality product from our Ford boys. There are fetalities due to this little doh! Way to go!!!
crawford.kirk @ Aug 3rd 2007 8:55PM
How could they wait so long?
Camaro02 @ Aug 3rd 2007 9:16PM
Found On Road Dead...
Why am I not surprised
Mal Fuller @ Aug 3rd 2007 9:41PM
This is the same old brake light switch problem that Ford has been obfuscating for nearly a decade. Are they finally going to stop denying the problem and actually fix it this time or have they more sleazy hocus-pocus fixes up their sleeve? My dad worked for Ford for forty years but he is spinning in his grave these days.
Bryan @ Aug 3rd 2007 10:01PM
Of course the typical bashers will complain. At least Ford is recalling without a fight like your sludged up Toyotas and Lexuses with faulty airbags that require a law suit. Now on to the recall...this was expected. And before you go complaining, this was Texas Instruments fault. And as a Texan it dissapoints me that they could let this happen, but thats life. We have 4 F150's in the family, all on the road, no issues. My grandfathers 02 already had the recall and is fine. There are more F-series on the road with 250k miles or more than ANY other truck in the WORLD. Now my question is...it states they have problems with vehicles up to 2007, yet, in the list of vehicles there arent any past 2002. Uhm, hello? Typo or what?
Mani @ Aug 3rd 2007 10:33PM
"And before you go complaining, this was Texas Instruments fault."
Ofcourse it is!
BTW. did you buy into that 11,000 towing capacity in your F150 like the TV commercial says? Just curious...
Realist @ Aug 4th 2007 11:03AM
Typical of a lot of insecure domestic crap lovers. Mention a recall from Ford/GM, what do these morons do? They want to talk about Toyota "sludge" problems instead.
This is a FORD problem, you dumbass. Not Toyota. F-O-R-D. Quit mentioning Toyota's "sludge" probem from the past. I know you enjoy dwelling on Toyota misfortunes, but dude, just let it go. You're grasping at straws and it makes you really sound desperate.
If you want to dig up stuff from the past, at least explain how it is relevant to the news you commenting about.
Like that massive probem a couple of years ago with Ford vehicles catching fire for no reason at all. Now how is that relevant to this article? Because it's basically the same old problem from the same old crap company.
Bryan @ Aug 4th 2007 4:54PM
Yeah Mani, so can you prove it to be false? Realist...we arent insecure, we are the realists. Quality is equal or better now. Deal with it.
delicia @ Aug 3rd 2007 11:28PM
Payton Lewis 9/9/84-12/9/06 is in your extended network
Payton Lewis 9/9/84-12/9/06's Blurbs
About me:
Payton was killed on 12/9/2006 due to a car crash involving fire. Up-Date The special investigators have made a decision on the cause of the car fire, as being sure so far, that the $ 20 cruise control switch failed , causing a fire under the left side of the engine in front of the driver, Payton. This $20 part should have been recalled, Ford knew there was problems, but yet, still lets people drive around with it. That is murder! if you ask me? Please beware if you drive a Ford Motor Company Car or Truck, check the recall list, a 20.00 part that should be recalled can kill you via engine fires!!!!!! All we ask is that out of this horrible tragic death , good comes. God has said that all comes together for good. Payton was God's servant here on Earth, and is now his servant in Heaven. Payton lifestyle on earth was for God's eternal glory and purpose. Payton understood his purpose in life was to please God, not people. This is our goal as Payton's and God Family, to help build Payton's Project, which promotes these values; 1. building a unshakable Christ like core character qualities. 2. Helping people find their life plan ( God's Mission in this world.
PaytonsProject.org this web-site is now up Please visit the site and leave us a message of support ..
From Payton's Mother: and Brothers
Making Houses Into Homes
Payton Tyler Lewis my son, was 22 years old , he died on the 9th of December . He was driving on hwy 376. Payton was driving a Lincoln Mark VIII, 1993 with less than 85000 miles on it. The car was examined by the dealerships Certified Techs. three times and they said the car was in mechanically sound condition. (As they had stated on E-bay where I had purchased the car). Well, They lied! The car ( A ford Motor Company Product) produces cars and trucks with defective deactivation switches in the cruise controls. The techs , told us that this was just the way the cars are designed, the accessories come up and on automatically " it's a luxury car". The car caught fire in the front of the car in the engine compartment on the left side, right, where his vision would have been disrupted. He tried to pull over on the left side of the road but, the brake lines had already burned thru. he tried to avoid a tree by pulling the car to the left, but the car slid into two trees, killing Payton age 22 and his girlfriend Sam. The eye witnesses of the accident pulled there car around and called 911, over 30 min. (response time), before a officer arrived. approx. 5 miles from the fire station/Whitehouse Police Department. Darning this time the two Witnesses sat in there car, in shock, not believing what they had witnessed. The Lincoln passed them with a engine fire, the pulled over to the left side of the road, hitting the trees, then the car continued to slowly burn and with every pop of the tires the wait seemed endless and heart breaking, Being in shock and afraid to go close to the car to reddener aid they felt helpless. They did what they could do called 911 for help. Thank you , Jessica and Kandice for your bravery and calling for help. At 4:30 am My world stopped, when the trooper notified me That there had been two fatalities in a car fire. When the car left my house, both of my sons Payton and Jason where in the car, so I thought Jason was in the car too! I ran to the bedroom and suddenly saw Jason in the bed, He jumped up saying whets wrong? and realized, that Payton wasn't there and that it was Samantha and Payton in the Car. Oh God! Why? What Do I do? What do I do?......... I was unable to give my son a open casket burial because his body was burned beyond recognition. When I saw his body , although most could not see him ,I as a mother could tell it was my baby Payton, the baby I brought into this world, the body that is also my body is now burned like he was nothing! I could see Payton's muscles that he used to build his house projects. I saw Payton's strong jaw line and neck that people always found so handsome. And as the undertaker unzipped the plastic black bag in the cold storage area lined with boxes, I saw Payton's big toe seemed to be almost in tact . Although it was blacked and burned from the fire I could tell it was Paytons big toe. And Then I remembered my little babies toes the little toes I had kissed when he was a child. And My big boys' toes that I had pulled and popped as we sat on the couch together watching movies together. The same toes and ankle he had broken in Poteet Texas at a high school football game. A Mother remembers these little things about their children. My son was a simple man. With big dreams. Dreams that were the driving force for what Payton wanted to accomplish in life. Providing families with the very basic of housing. With Gods help we will fulfill Paytons dream of Payton's Village. A village that in filled with small individual homes, in a safe environment for the underprivileged, disadvantaged, and the disabled. The most forgotten members of our society. Payton at 22 years old already built and remodeled 6 houses. The house he is working on in the pictures is his legacy .If it is Gods will He will provide us a way to continue his dream. Payton struggled financially selling all his possessions to put into his project, He said his pay off would be in the end and what God wanted him to do , meant more than him having a "stuff". If you would like to help work on his Project homes, please leave a comment and what you are interested in doing for the project. Thank you so much. or visit Paytonsproject.org leave a comment on the guest book.
Ron @ Aug 7th 2007 3:39AM
To the mother of Payton,
I read your story with great sadness....NO parent should ever have to bury their child, but unfortunately sometimes life isn't fair. It may not alleviate the pain, but he is in a much better place.
As far as that Mark VIII,yes, that cruise control switch is the culprit. My Mark VIII caught fire as it was just sitting in my garage at 1AM! Had the alarm not sounded because the wires had burned through it probably would have burned my house down as I was asleep. It was only through my quick actions and a few burned fingers that I averted a real disaster.
After reading of your story, my story and any other story pales in comparison. I am reading all of these other comments people debating Ford against Toyota, who's good, whose bad, etc etc, and all I want to say is "IDIOTS! WAKE UP!!!" This is a REAL PROBLEM, and it does not require debate, it requires ACTION to make Ford do the RIGHT THING!
To me, the debate is over.....time to figure out some actions to take!
And God Bless Payton Tyler Lewis
delicia @ Aug 7th 2007 9:08AM
Thank you so much for your comment, whenever I hear of these stories now ,I say thank God you made it out alive! PLease feel fre to contact via www.paytonsproject.org . we ask people leave messages of support of this request of Ford.
Paytons Project has asked for Ford To step up right now! and become a corporate sponsor of Paytons Project, to at least keep Paytons' Dream Alive. It is all I have left and a box of ashes.
Delicia Lewis (CEO of Payton's Project)