1996 Ford F-150 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

1996 FORD F150 CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED.*MR TRUCK BURST INTO FLAMES WITH IGNITION OFF. TRUCK HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS. FIREWALL HELD UP PRETTY WELL KEEPING FIRE OUT OF CAB. THE HEAT WAS SO INTENSE, THE DASH MELTED TO THE FLOOR. *BF *NM

I HAVE A 1996 FORD F-150 PICKUP TRUCK. THE TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE ON APRIL 20, 2005, AT A FORD REPAIR FACILITY, WHILE IT WAS THERE FOR REPAIR. THE FIRE INITIATED AT THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER. ITEMS AFFECTED BY THE FIRE INCLUDED THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH, THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER AND POWER BRAKE DIAPHRAGM, MELTED COVERS, HOSES AND WIRING, AND BURNED AND SCORCHED THE HOOD, PEALING A LARGE SPOT OF THE PAINT. THE TRUCK HAS JUST 77,986 MILES. PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAMAGE ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. EVEN THOUGH THIS SWITCH IS THE SAME PART, IDENTIFIED WITH THE SAME PART NUMBER BY FORD, AND THE SAME DESIGN AS THAT CURRENTLY UNDER RECALL IN MODEL YEARS 2000 ? 2001, FORD HAS REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. I LEARNED ABOUT THIS DECISION FROM A CONVERSATION I HAD WITH THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE. THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THE REPAIRS, USING SOME USED COMPONENTS, IS ABOUT $1,000. WHEN I CALLED THE PARTS DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CURRENT SWITCH IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. IT WOULD BE REPLACED WITH A NEW DESIGN, THE SAME AS ON THE RECALL FOR THE 2000 ? 2001 MODELS. THE NEW PART INCLUDES A SWITCH (TRANSDUCER), AS WELL AS A JUMPER CABLE CONTAINING A NEW DIODE AND PLUG. THE NEW PART SELLS FOR $24.29. IT IS FORTUNATE THAT THIS FIRE OCCURRED WHILE THE UNIT WAS PARKED OUTSIDE OF THE REPAIR FACILITY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS IF IT WERE INSIDE THE BUILDING, EXPOSING THE MECHANICS TO SMOKE AND FIRE. THIS TRUCK IS DRIVEN BY MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO AND FROM SCHOOL AND AROUND TOWN. I HAD THE TRUCK IN FOR REPAIRS TO BE ASSURED THAT WHEN SHE STARTED COLLEGE NEXT FALL THE UNIT WOULD BE RELIABLE FOR HER. HAD THIS SWITCH CAUSED A FIRE WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING WE COULD HAVE LOST HER. THAT IS JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE! THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE UNITS THAT HAVE THIS CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE AT RISK.*AK

CRUISE CONTROL STARTED ACTING UP ONE DAY,. IT WOULD UNEXPLAINABLY DROP OUT PERIODICALLY, CAUSES VEHICLE TO RAPIDLY DECELERATE ON FREEWAY, RESULTING IN UNSAFE CONDITONS ON BUSY INTERSATE. NOW CRUISE CONTROL QUIT WORKING ALL TOGETHER.*AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE FOR A FEW HOURS WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE ON ITS OWN. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH.*AK

WHEN CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED AND CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH FAILED. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *AK

1996 FORD F150 HAD MADE A SHORT TRIP TO HOME DEPOT. APPROXIMATELY 1 HR. LATER I SMELLED WHAT SEEMED LIKE BURNING TAR. I LOOKED AND THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD.. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THE CRUISE CONTROL BRAKE SWITCH SMOKING PROFUSELY, A SMALL FLAME. AND EXTREMELY HOT. I UNPLUGGED IT AND THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM STOPPED.. THE SWITCH IS BURNT AND MELTED. IF I HAD NOT BEEN OUTSIDE AND FOUND THIS EVEN 5 MINUTES LATER. I WOULD NOW HAVE A BURNED TRUCK. THIS IS THE SAME SWITCH THAT FORD HAS RECALLED ON THE 2000 MODELS.AND ADMITTED TO HAVING A PROBLEM AS FAR BACK AS THE 97 MODELS. BUT NOT ON 96. I HAVE CHECKED THEIR WEB SITE AND THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS YEAR. I WILL BE TAKING IT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP SOON.. BUT WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAD ANY MORE COMPLAINTS ON THIS MODEL FOR THIS PROBLEM.

THE TOP OF THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR AN INSPECTION. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A SHORTAGE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL WIRE. *JB

1)CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING SEVERAL MONTHS AGO 2)1996 F-150 PARKED IN DRIVE WAY, GOT IN TRUCK AND COULD NOT GET OUT OF PARK. LOOKED UNDER HOOD, FOUND CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR BURNT UP. THE BRAKE RESERVOIR WAS SEARED FROM CRUISE CONTROL BURNING UP. IF IT HAD BURNED THRU THE RESERVOIR, THE TRUCK MIGHT HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. 3)TRUCK HAS NOT BEEN FIXED YET, DEALER SAID I SHOULD CONTACT FORD, EMAILED FORD ABOUT FIXING TRUCK, NO RESPONSE YET

CRUISE CONTROL INCREASED VEHICLE SPEED. WOULDN'T DISENGAGE. *AK