2003 Ford F-150 Electrical System

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE ON IT'S OWN. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

MY FORD EXPLORER HAS SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE COMPUTER SINCE NEW. *NM

MY FORD F150 TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE TODAY WHILE PARKED OUTSIDE A RESIDENTIAL HOUSE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE TRUCK IS UNDRIVABLE AND WILL BE TOWED TOMORROW. THE FIRE WAS FROM A FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL DEVICE.

I HEARD CNN'S REPORT ON FORD'S THAT COULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH FIRE DUE TO A HOT WIRED CRUISE CONTROL ON MANY FORDS.THEY CAN GO ON FIRE EVEN WHEN NOT RUNNING, PERHAPS IN THE GARAGE. I HAVE A 2003 EXPLORER, I HAVE CALLED THE FORD DEALER AND THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN RESPONSIBLITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, WHAT CAN WE DO IF WE OWN THESE CARS TO BE SAFE?

DT: WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK ALONG WITH DARK SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST. VEHICLE HESITATED AND CONSUMER PULLED INTO A PARKING LANE, A TURN LANE LEADING INTO AN OFFICE PARK. CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO CALL HIGHWAY ASSISTANCE THAT FORD DEALER USES IN AREA, THEY EVENTUALLY SENT A TOW SERVICE THAT COULD NOT TOW BECAUSE 2 PEOPLE WERE ALREADY IN THE CAB. CONSUMER CALLED DEALER BACK AND DEALER GAVE NAME AND NUMBER OF ANOTHER TOW SERVICE THAT BROUGHT VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER. CONSUMER WAS TOLD COMPUTER WAS THE PROBLEM OF THE HESITATION. *TT

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE CAUSE WAS NOT DETERMINED. *JB *TT

THE IGNITION SWITCH IN MY FORD FOCUS ZX3 (2003) HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. ONCE ON 6/17/04 AT 17,301 MILES BY LATHAM FORD IN LATHAM, NY AND ON 12/17/04 AT 33,213 MILES BY NEMER FORD IN QUEENSBURY, NY. BOTH TIMES I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND IT WOULD NOT TURN. BOTH TIMES THE REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO NEW COUNTRY FORD YESTERDAY (6/1/05) BECAUSE THE KEY TURNS, BUT THE CAR DOES NOT START ONLY THE ELECTRIC COMES ON. THE SERVICE MANAGER THERE, BOB, SAID THE MECHANIC IS STILL LOOKING AT THE CAR AND APPARENTLY THE IGNITION SWITCH IS BROKEN AGAIN, BUT HE THINKS SOMETHING ELSE IN THE STEERING COLUMN MAY BE THE PROBLEM. IF IT IS NOT THE IGNITION SWITCH THAT IS BROKEN I WILL LIKELY HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, EVEN THOUGH THE MALFUNCTIONING PIECE MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSING THE IGNITION SWITCH TO FAIL THE FIRST TWO TIMES (MEANING THAT THOSE MECHANICS MISSED THE BIG PROBLEM).

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CAUSE OF THIS IS FIRE WAS UNDETERMINED.*AK

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON THE DRIVEWAY IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. FLAMES AND SMOKE CAME UNDER THE DASHBOARD. *AK

I HAVE A 2003 F-150 SUPERCREW THAT I PURCHASED SEPTEMBER 2, 2003. IN OCTOBER 2003 WHEN THE ODOMETER WAS CHANGING FROM 999 MILES THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO HAVE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AND THE DASH LIGHTS FLASHED FOR A COUPLE SECONDS. THEN THE ODOMETER CHANGED TO 2000 MILES SKIPPING THE 1000 MILE MARK AND BEGAN TO MISS AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STOP RUNNING BUT IT NEVER STOPPED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO MISFIRE. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT ON SIX VISITS. THEY HAVE FOUND CYLINDER 1, 2, AND 3 MISFIRES AND REPLACED THE BOOTS AND COILS TO THOSE CYLINDERS. BUT IT STILL MISSES WHEN I COME TO A STOP WITH THE ENGINE IN DRIVE OR AT IDLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS NEVER COME ON. THE SERVICEMAN AT THE DEALERSHIP AND I WHEN ON A TEST DRIVE WITH A MONITOR CHECKING THE FIRING OF THE SPARK PLUGS AND THE CYLINDERS WERE SHOWING AS MUCH AS A 60 % VOLTAGE DROP.THE COMPUTER HAS SHOWED SEVERAL CODES ON THE CYLINDERS AND CODES THAT ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO BE EVEN ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN SERVICED BY DEALER SIX TIMES, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *JB

MY '03 F150 FX4 4X4 HAS WHAT I SUSPECT TO BE AN IGNITION PROBLEM THAT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT CANNOT DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE. I HAVE HAD THE TRUCK SINCE JULY 03 AND IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER TWICE. ONCE WITHOUT A "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT AND I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT WORK THE TRUCK DUE TO WARRANTY ISSUES WITHOUT THE LIGHT. THEN IN NOVEMBER THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND I TOOK THE TRUCK IN FOR THE LIGHT AND THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE INOPERABLE. THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WAS FIXED BY REPLACING THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL, RIGHT SIDE AXLE HOUSING, SHIFTING FORK AND GEARS. BUT THE IGNITION PROBLEM WAS JUST AS ILLUSIVE WITH THE LIGHT AND THE CODE. NOW I STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM OF THE TRUCK DYING OUT AS USUAL AND MY FUEL ECONOMY IS DEGRADING. THE TRUCK WILL DIE OUT AND RECOVER CAUSING THE TRUCK TO BUCK SEVERELY, POSSIBLY CAUSING THE 4X4 PROBLEMS MENTIONED EARLIER. IT IS AT ITS WORST AT 1450 RPM OR 59 MPH. ONCE 1500 RPMS ARE EXCEEDED THE PROBLEM IS GONE. I CAN ALSO ACCELERATE THROUGH IT WITHOUT EXPERIENCING ANY PROBLEM. JUST STEADY-STATE OPERATION WITHOUT ANY LOAD AND IT WILL DIE OUT REPEATEDLY. *LA

MY FRIEND BOUGHT A 2003 F-150 SUPER-CREW AND AFTER 4 MONTH THE DOME LIGHT FUSE BLEW. HE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE TESTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. WHAT THEY DID TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM WAS" PUT A NEW FUSE IN IT AND SAID TRY THIS AND COME BACK IF THE FUSE BLOWS AGAIN." WELL THE FUSE BLEW AGAIN AND IS AT THE DEALER AGAIN. *NLM