NHTSA Complaint #10045751 — 1993 FORD F-150

SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE STERING COLUMN. ONLY DAMAGE WAS OUR OWN, WITH BURNT WIRES WITHIN THE WIRELOOM UNDER THE DASH. UPON INVESTIGATION BY MY HUSBAND, HE FOUND 7 WIRES MELTED INTO ONE ANOTHER. THE FUSE DID NOT MELT, BUT THE WIRES HAD TOTALLY DISINTIGRATED. THE WIRES ARE TO SMALL FOR THE 15 AMP FUSE THEY ARE ATTACHED TO. WE HAVE HAD THIS BURNING UNDER OUR DASH SEVERAL TIMES IN THIS PAST YEAR. NOT UNTIL THE TAIL LIGHTS REFUSED TO WORK DID WE DO THE DEEPER INVESTIGATION OF THE WIRE LOOM. IN THE MEAN TIME WE HAVE LOST OUR CRUSE CONTROL AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE MIGHT TURN UP. I'VE CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY PERSONALLY ABOUT THE SITUATION. THEY SAY UNTILL FORCED BY A RECALL THERE IS NOTING THEY CAN DO FOR OUR SITUATION. OUR 93 FORD IS WELL OVER IT'S WARRENTY AND WITH 120,000 MILES AND NO RECALL TO DATE FOR MY PROBLEM DESCRIBED ABOVE. REPAIRS WILL HAVE TO BE DONE BY US AND WILL BE REIMBURST UNON ANY FUTURE RECALL ON THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION. GOSH, I'VE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE 1993 FORD 150'S ALL DEALING WITH THIS SIMMILAR TYPE OF SITUATION, BURNING AND SMOKE FROM THE STERING COLUMN. ALL THAT IS STATED IS THAT THE SITUATION IS ELECTRICAL. WELL, IT CERTAINLY IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND THE MANUFACTURER IS THE SORCE OF THE PROBLEM. USING WIRES TO SMALL FOR THE FUSES THAT THEY INSTALLED IN THEIR VEHICLES. SO LET'S AT LEAST WARN ALL 1993 WEHICLE OWNERS TO THE FACT. WE WILL BE LOOKING TO REPLACE OUR 1993 FORD AS SOON AS WE CAN AFFORD TO DO SO. I DO NOT WANT TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY SOME ELECTRICAL FIRE OR BRAKE FAILLURE OR WHAT EVER. I HAVE ALSO SEEN THAT THERE WAS A FATALITY IN ONE THE ELECTRICAL COMPLAINS ON THESE 1993 FORD F-150 VEHICLES......THIS IS TO SCARRY....I DO NOT WANT TO OWN ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT!*AK