NHTSA Complaint #10008223 — 1996 FORD F-150

THE HORN BUTTONS ON MY 1996 FORD F-150 ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PRESS WITHOUT TAKING YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD AND SCANNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCATE THEM. NUMEROUS TIMES I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THEM IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. IN EVERY EMERGENCY SITUATION I HAVE EXPERIENCED, MY HANDS END UP PRESSING ON THE AIR BAG COVER AND THEN ON THE CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS. ONLY AFTER I HAVE NARROWLY AVOIDED A CRASH DUE TO NOT HAVING TIME TO LOOK DOWN AT THE STEERING WHEEL TO DISCOVER WHERE THE HORN BUTTONS ARE. THE HORN BUTTON LAYOUT COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE PROCEEDED THROUGH THE DESIGN AND TESTING PROCESS WITHOUT NUMEROUS WARNINGS AND COMPLAINTS BY THE TEST ENGINEERS AND OTHER ANALYST'S. FORD APPEARS TO HAVE LEFT THIS DESIGN FLAW IN PLACE TO AVOID AN EXPENSIVE REDESIGN OF THE 1996 MODEL F-150. IT WAS ONLY IN PRODUCTION FROM SEPTEMBER 1995 THROUGH DECEMBER 1995 THEN FORD INTRODUCED THE REDESIGNED 1997 MODEL IN JANUARY 1996. IT APPEARS THAT THEY OPTED TO SACRIFICE OPERATOR SAFETY IN THEIR RUSH TO MIGRATE TO THE NEW TRUCK DESIGN.*JB