1997 Ford Expedition VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD, AND WAS IN THE CRUISE CONTROL AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF. THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE ABOUT THREE MINUTES EARLIER. THERE WAS NO SMOKE BEFORE THIS. THE DRIVER HAD NOT USED THE CRUISE CONTROL THAT DAY. THE TRUCK HAD DRIVEN FINE EARLIER. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED FROM THE FIRE LOCATION BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THE CONSUMER HAS A FIRE REPORT WHICH STATED THAT THERE WAS NO LEAKAGE. THERE WAS NO INSURANCE ON THE VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. EVERYTHING ON THE DASHBOARD WAS NORMAL. THE CONSUMER THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL BECAUSE OF THE FIRES LOCATION AND THE WHEEL WELL. ALSO, THE VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED . WHILE ON FIRE BYSTANDERS THAT TOOK PICTURES. THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN ADVISED TO REVIEW THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND SUBMIT THE PICTURES TO ODI.

ON 13 JULY 2005, I PARKED MY 1997 FORD EXPEDITION AT A CO-WORKERS HOME. WE LEFT FOR WORK IN HIS VEHICLE. 45 MINUTES LATER, I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM HIS SPOUSE. SHE STATED MY VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE AND THE SCHERTZ FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD RESPONDED. THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE DEPUTY FIRE MARSHALL, TERRY AIKMAN, OPINED THE IGNITION POINT OF THE FIRE WAS AT THE CRUISE CONTROL CIRCUITS. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY WHO RESPONDED WITH A LETTER. THE LETTER SAID FORD REGRETTED MY LOSS BUT COULD NOT HELP BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT CURRENTLY ON THEIR RECALL LIST.

DT: CONTACT STATES: A FIRE OCCURRED IN 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. IT BURNT THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH, THE WIRING HARNESS, AND IT MELTED THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR, WHICH COULD LEAD TO THE VEHICLE HAVING NO BRAKES. HE TALKED TO FORD, AND CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. CONTACT BELIEVED THE RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROADER AND GONE BACK TO EARLIER YEARS.*AK

DT: CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE AND PARKED IT OUTSIDE OF HIS HOUSE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LATER IT WAS IN FLAMES. CONSUMER CONTACTED FORD, AND WAS ADVISED NOT TO MOVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO SEND SOMEONE TO INSPECT IT. HOWEVER, FORD DID NOT AS OF YET INSPECT VEHICLE, AND CASE WAS CLOSED. VEHICLE IS STILL SITTING IN FRONT OF HOUSE. ACCORDING TO FORD CUSTOMER HOTLINE THE CNN STORY WAS OFF BASE AND NHTSA WAS ALSO OFF BASE.*AK

LTR RE DEFECTIVE 1997 EDDIE BAUER FORD EXPEDITION, WHICH CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF.*MR THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE FIRE WAS THE RESULT OF A FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WHICH WAS RECALLED FOR THE 2000 EXPEDITIONS BUT NOT THE 1997'S. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT'S SON OWNS A VEHICLE THAT WAS PARKED IN A HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT WHEN A FORD EXPEDITION CAUGHT ON FIRE AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO HER SON'S CAR. THIS HAPPENED ON 10-17-05. THE FIRE DEPT DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE SCDS. ALSO, A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THIS WAS REPORTED TO CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THE CONTACT NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER, THUS RELIEVING HIM OF ANY LIABILITY TO THE OTHER VEHICLES THAT WERE BURNED BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. THE CONTACT'S SON DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT INSURANCE TO COVER THE DAMAGE DONE TO HIS VEHICLE. *AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 - THE COMPLAINANT SON OWNED A 1989 TOYOTA CELICA 2 DOOR WHICH WAS PARKED NEXT TO THE EXPEDITION WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. *NM

NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 05V017000 CONCERNING CRUISE CONTROL. VEHICLE WAS PARKED ONE HOUR WHEN THE NEIGHBOR ALERTED CONSUMER THAT THE GARAGE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DPEARTMENT WAS ALERTED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, HOWEVER, TWO VEHICLES AND PART OF THE HOME WERE DESTROYED. *AK

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DISENGAGE CRUISE CONTROL BY APPLYING BRAKE VEHICLE ACCELERATES UNCONTROLLABLY NO MATTER HOW HARD BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THE OFF BUTTON FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL MUST BE PRESSED TO STOP ACCELERATION. MY WORRY IS IF SOMEONE SHOULD PANICK WHEN THIS OCCURS IT COULD RESULT IN A REAR END COLLISION OR RUN THROUGH A INTERSECTION.

CONSUMER WAS INSIDE THE HOUSE WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE HEARD THE HORN GOING OFF INSIDE THE GARAGE AFTER IT WAS PARKED FOR 45 MINUTES. SHE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO TURN OFF THE HORN AND NOTICED THAT BLACK SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT SIDE OF THE HOOD. CONSUMER CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND WITHIN MINUTES THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE ALONG WITH THE HOUSE. RESULTS SHOWED THAT CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH HAD A SHORT WHICH CAUSED THE FIRE.*AK

AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 4 HOURS CRUISE CONTROL ON CAUGHT FIRE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. EVOQ FILED BY: PHIL CREAMER. *AK

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT CAUGHT FIRE ON ITS OWN. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE THERE WAS A SHORTAGE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN INFORMED BY CONSUMER.

1997 FORD EXPEDITION CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR FIRE CAUSED BY CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. *TT *NM

THROTTLE REMAINS STUCK DOWN UNDER HARD ACCELERATION, POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THROTTLE BODY HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND APPARENTLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *LA

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS IN REVERSE, PARALLEL PARKING, THE VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO A BRICK COLUMN. THE DAMAGE OF THE VEHICLE WAS EXTENSIVE AND THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. *YH

THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN REVERSE FOR PARALLEL PARKING. THE ACCELERATOR WAS TAPPED FOR MOMENTUM. THE ENGINE RACED, AND THE VEHICLE SURGED BACKWARD. APPLICAITON OF THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE. THE CAR JUMPED THE CURB AND SLAMMED INTO A COLUMN (INSURANCE ADJUSTER ESTIMATED SPEED AT 10 MPH OR MORE).*AK

WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING WHICH RESULTED IN THE VEHCILE HITTING A BRICK WALL. THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. NLM

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN REVERSE FOR PARALLEL PARKING, AS SHE TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE RACED, AND THE VEHICLE SURGED BACKWARDS, CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES BUT IT DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN, THE CAR JUMPED THE CURB AND SLAMMED INTO A COLUMN, ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. *TT

THROTTLE CABLE INTERMITTENTLY STICKS AND LURCHES VEHICLE FORWARD. IT TAKES A LITTLE MORE PRESSURE TO ACCELERATE WHICH SOMETIMES MAKES VEHICLE GO FASTER THAN INTENDED. DEALER WAS INDIFFERENT TO SAFETY CONCERNS. *AK

BUMPED POST WITH REAR BUMPER, ENGINE REVVED IN REVERSE, I APPLIED BRAKES, PUT INTO DRIVE, CAR SPED FORWARD VERY FAST AND UNCONTROLLABLY INTO SEVERAL PARKED CARS. *AK

THROTTLE CABLE BINDING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE EXPEDITION CONTINUED TO PICK-UP SPEED UNTIL I PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE AT THIS POINT WAS RACING. WITH THE VEHICLE STOPPED, IT TOOK ME ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO PULL THE ACCELERATOR BACK UP WITH MY HAND. AT THIS POINT THE ACCELERATOR "POPPED" BACK INTO PLACE AND THE ENGINE STOPPED RACING. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED AND I HAVE ASKED THE MECHANIC TO SAVE ANY PARTS WHICH NEED TO BE REPLACED. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT A VEHICLE OF THIS PRICE RANGE WOULD DO THIS AND I AM QUITE CONCERNED OVER THIS INCIDENT. COULD YOU E-MAIL OR CALL ME OR BOTH CONCERNING MY COMPLAINT AND HOW YOU PROCEED FROM THIS POINT? I AM VERY INTERESTED IN TRACKING THIS ISSUE. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT ANY VEHICLE COULD FAIL IN THIS MANNER. FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL BE HEARING FROM ME AS SOON AS I AM DONE WITH THIS MESSAGE TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *AK

EXCESSIVE EFFORT HAS TO BE PUT ON GAS PEDAL IN ORDER TO TAKE OFF FROM A STOP, WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO JUMP FORWARD. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE AND SAID THAT IT NEEDED THROTTLE LINKAGE REPLACED. *AK

THE ACCELERATOR STICKS, CONSUMER HAD THE THROTTLE FIXED, HOWEVER THE ACCELERATOR WAS STICKING AGAIN.*ET

THROTTLE LINKAGE BINDING. *AK

THE FUEL THROTTLE IS STICKING. *SLC