Ford says parts for cruise control recall delayed
Hang on just a little longer if you've got a Ford with the self-immolating cruise control option. Since the recall was announced in August, there's been a run on service departments, leading to a shortage of fused wiring harnesses for the passenger cars involved in the effort. The SUVs and pickups haven't had any supply problems, so it's just people with the honor of still owning such gems as mid 1990s Panther platform vehicles, Lincoln Mark VIIIs, Neff's favorite '93-'95 SHO, and everyone's halo car, the '94 Mercury Capri. The only word on parts availability, which was supposed to be October, is that they'll arrive sometime later this year. Plenty of time for your DN5 SHO to burn completely to the ground.
[Source: Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Menice 8:50AM (10/18/2007)
i sell componets!
who needs what now?!?!
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blogged to death 8:53AM (10/18/2007)
Well 16M cars to fix or repair daily is pretty hard on a company. I bet with all the experience in recalls for unsafe vehicles they'd have this self caused emergency down pat. Better keep that fleet of lawyers ready to fly out to the victims to offer settlements and NDAs (ala Pinto and the fights the Ford lawyers got visiting the hospitals of the victim's families).
Too bad in 1991 when the engineers questioned and had repeated failures of these devices while internally testing them - they could have done a bold move and corrected the problem with the manufacturer.
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James Prescott 9:14AM (10/18/2007)
I received a notice from Ford within the last 2 weeks that the supplies to fix my 2002 Sport Trac were out of stock, and I need to take it in to have the cruise control inactivated until the parts are available.
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maxconfus 8:13PM (10/18/2007)
I recently went through a similar situation with ford but for a different part, steering column assembly. It took 43 days to get the part; the car was not drivable during this time.
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Mal Fuller 10:11AM (10/18/2007)
Ford's been fumbling this one forever. This fact makes them look stupid.
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howard 12:21PM (10/18/2007)
Who ever said Manufacturing Companies as big as Ford and the rest of the Automotive and Industrial world were anything but STUPID (yeah, like a fox). They find something that is life threatning almost 20 years or more ago and just now bring it out in the open. Playing the law of averages like they always do. Let the customer find the problem and be killed or injured by it and offer to fix what's left of the smouldering heap of ashes!
Swede 12:57PM (10/18/2007)
Hi Mal,
You got that right. But it was Jack Nasser the Then CEO who got rid of the field technical people and went to telemarketers much like the HMO which we all know does not work. Let hope the new CEO can get it fixed.
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Nick M 3:36PM (10/18/2007)
Why picture a 2000 Taurus which isn't even affected by the recall? Hopefully Ford will take care of this delay quickly...even if most of the cars are probably found in junkyard being they are 10+ years old
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That One Person 4:09PM (10/18/2007)
Past CEOs and management REALLY screwed this company over. Luckily, out of all the people I know who own a vehicle affected by this recall have not had any problems.
The problem is, it ain't completely Ford's fault...even though they played a part in it. The part was produced by a third party (Texas Instruments) who also found the part to be faulty.
Oh and blogged to death, where the hell did you get 16mil from? The amount of cars recalled so far is at 10.4.
The company that is producing this switch probably can't keep up with demand. But Ford should have stockpiled these things a while back.
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Bryan 9:10PM (10/18/2007)
Uhm hello, just take out the $3 part. You can go without cruise control until the new unit is installed. I know, simple, yet mind blowing, right?
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Chuck U. Farlie 10:14PM (10/21/2007)
Yeah Brian, I'll get right on that... after I stop, drop and roll, and extinguish my wife and children, I'll reach right in and take that part out. Good thing it's cruise and not brakes.
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