REPORT: Ford widens cruise control recall by 4.5M vehicles - now biggest in company history
For the past ten years, Ford has been doing a dance with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and consumers over the issue of leaking cruise control switches in certain company vehicles. As of 2008, it had recalled some 9.6 million vehicles to repair a faulty Texas Instruments cruise-control deactivation switch, and now after a NHTSA investigation, the Blue Oval has added 4.5 million more Ford and Mercury vehicles to the recall.
The latest action covers these vehicles:
1992-2003 Ford Econoline
2000-2003 Ford Excursion
1995-2002 Ford Explorer
1993-1997, 1999-2003 Ford F-Series Super Duty
1994 Ford F-53 chassis
1995-1997, 2001-2003 Ford Ranger
1995-2003 Ford Windstar
1995-2002 Mercury Mountaineer
According to NHTSA, the switch can leak and overheat, which can lead to smoking and, in some cases, fire. In fact, The Detroit News notes that the switches have been faulted in more than 550 fires – some of which led to fatalities – many of which have led to lawsuits. A Ford statement declared, "Aside from the Windstar, the additional vehicles addressed in this action have different system parameters and do not pose an unreasonable risk to safety. However, Ford is taking this action on all of these vehicles to address possible ongoing customer lack of confidence in vehicles with the affected switch."
The recall begins on October 26. Anyone with an affected vehicle can take it to a Ford dealer and have the switch repaired with a fused harness. Owners can get more information directly from NHTSA by calling the government agency's hotline at . Thanks to everyone for the tips!
[Source: The Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Andrew L 8:37AM (10/14/2009)
Matt is going to have a field day
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C.W. 8:49AM (10/14/2009)
matt is also a moron.
gearhead18 12:53PM (10/14/2009)
Yeah he is a moron but I'm replying up here to get autoblog to add.
The 1998-2000 Ranger is part of this. I know because I drive a 98 and had it done to the truck.
Avinash machado 8:40AM (10/14/2009)
Don't forget Brian. They will take this opportunity to indulge in their hobby namely Ford bashing.
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Matt 12:11PM (10/14/2009)
This isn't Ford bashing, it's what I've been telling you for a LONG time.
Your refusal to hear the truth does not make it bashing.
stoop 9:55AM (10/22/2009)
How about this for "bashing" my class C motor home built on a 1992 econoline van recently burst into flames, we managed to put it out without loss of life and limited colateral damage to a few hundred dollars.
Ford Motor Company refused to pay for the damage beyond the harness it's self.
Buy Ford at your own risk, they will kill you and not think a thing about it. Pat response..."You will be hearing from our legal department within 15 days."
Yaroukh 8:46AM (10/14/2009)
ouch, this hurts
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JayP 8:47AM (10/14/2009)
No big deal- most of the Explorers were killed for Cash for Clunkers.
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blogged to death 9:13AM (10/14/2009)
The dubious nature of the safety & fire related recall was that Ford had done internal tests and had some failures that proved how dangerous a hydraulic fluid related fire was so dangerous. Ford went ahead and installed them in some 16M cars (and very, very slowly recalled them over a 19 year period). Not a glowing assessment when it was dangerous to park your Ford in your home's garage - even more so if bedrooms were over the top of it. YouTube ( http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ford+cruise+control+fire&search_type=&aq=f ) some Ford cruise control switch fires to see the dangerous nature they became and so bad most homeowners never had the proper fire equipment to extinguish even when caught early as hydraulic fluid fires are very hard to put out.
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Shamdiddly 9:19AM (10/14/2009)
Funny thing I noticed in this article that I don't think I have ever seen in a recall article like this before (except the breaking input shafts on the early Camaro SS): they actually named the supplier of the switch (TI). Interesting.
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dukeisduke 9:48AM (10/14/2009)
That part of TI was actually spun off (divested) a couple of years ago; they're now called Sensata.
Kumar 9:35AM (10/14/2009)
Queue the back and forth on which is more dangerous. Random engine fires that can burn down your house (with you inside sleeping), or floor mats that can stick the accelerator and cause a fiery death as well.
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dukeisduke 9:54AM (10/14/2009)
When the Expedition recall came out a couple of years ago, I proactively replaced the switch on my F-150 with Ford's new design part (which came with a harness adapter, because the connectors are different), so I wouldn't have to disconnect it. I've since been through the recall, so now I have the new design switch, plus its harness adapter, plus the fused harness extension that gets installed in the recall. What a kluge!
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kal326 2:04PM (10/14/2009)
My wifes 2000 Mountaineer had the recall work done over a year ago. Now I have a nice big fuse link zip tied to the brake lines coming off the ABS. Not a particularly attractive under hood addition, but I guess its better than a chance of busting into flames.
Judy Zik 9:57AM (10/14/2009)
It is never a good sign when your vehicles are bursting into flames. What is most disappointing is that it has taken way too many recalls to get this fixed. I am the previous owner of more than one vehicle on that list that were dealer serviced and I was told not effected by this issue. It is pretty upsetting to think you could have been driving around with a known issue that is this dangerous even if it is rare. It shouldn't have taken this long to recall the full list of vehicles with these issues.
I do think it is a good thing that they are naming the supplier. I think that should happen more often in recalls since these suppliers generally do business with more than one company.
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vespid82 9:58AM (10/14/2009)
And you fools wanted to make a big deal about Toyota and some damn FLOOR MATS?! LMAO!
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Bob-omb 10:53AM (10/14/2009)
Are you implying people on this blog are an inaccurate representation of car buyers and let their misguided car biases influence their posts? Naw...........
SKINNYwithNOfood 10:22AM (10/14/2009)
If this was aan atricle about any Japanese brand recalling 4.5M! vehicles then this comments page wouldve been filled already.
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merlot066 10:30AM (10/14/2009)
I find it kinda ridiculous that they still haven't fixed the damn switches still. There have been recalls for these switches for years. It's good it isn't on a new model though, not that it will stop Matt or Brian.
the4thheat 9:37PM (10/14/2009)
But the thing is that Ford probably knew that if they just waited long enough a lot of the cars would be off the road so even if they recalled 4.5 million cars they'd never have to fix nearly as many.
A lot of the early/mid 90's vehicles are probably off the road at this point.