Ford Motor Vehicles has issued recalls for millions of their vehicles over a potential fire risk. A fire can be caused by a defective speed control deactivation switch. A speed control switch is commonly referred to as a cruise control switch. This switch is located in the engine compartment of the vehicle. Once a fire starts, it can quickly spread putting nearby property and ordinary citizens at grave risk. Unfortunately a fire can start from the defective speed control deactivation switch even when the car is off or has been turned off for several days.
The defective cruise control switch can cause the Ford vehicle to catch fire primarily because:
- The seal inside the switch that is suppose to separate the hydraulic and electrical sides of the switch fails by allowing brake fluid to leak from the hydraulic side of the switch into the electrical side of the switch. Once the leak develops, the brake fluid makes its way into the electrical cavity of the switch and can make contact with the electrically charged wires in the switch;
- The switch is mounted in a vertically up or angled down orientation, allowing metallic corrosion products to settle in such a way that dendrite growth can develop which can promote the development of a short circuit;
- The switch always had electrical power supplied to it even when the vehicle’s ignition was off, providing a source to produce the energy to start heating any of the switch’s components;
- The circuitry for the wwitch was not fused to provide protection against a short.
To find out whether your Ford has been recalled, please contact your local Ford dealer.
If your Ford has caught fire, please contact an Arkansas and Oklahoma Ford fire lawyer at Carr & Carr Attorneys at 866-510-0580 and we can see what we can do for you. We have offices in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and in Northwest Arkansas and can meet with you wherever you may live.
Below is a list of some of the vehicles that have been recalled by Ford.
Remember there are time limitations as to when you can bring a claim or lawsuit, so please contact us immediately.
Recalled Vehicles
Cars
- 1992-1998 Ford Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car & 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 & Mercury Mountaineer
- 1998-2002 Lincoln Navigator
- 2000-2003 Ford Excursion
- 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport & Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Pickup Trucks
- 1993-2004 Ford F-150
- 1993-2003 Ford F-250
- 1993-1999 Ford F-250 gas engine
- 1993-2003 Ford F-350, Ford F-450 & Ford F-550
- 1993-2002 F Series Super Duty
- 1998-2002 Ford Ranger
- 2001 F-Series Super Crew
- 2002-2003 Lincoln Blackwood
- 2003-2004 Ford F-150 Lightning
Vans
- 1992-1993, 1997-2003 E150-350
- 1994-1996 Ford Econoline
- 1996-2003 Ford E-450 gas or natural gas
- 2002 Ford E-550 gas
RVs & Motor Homes
- 1995-2002 Ford F53 Motor Home
