NHTSA Complaint #10104771 — 1998 FORD EXPEDITION

ON MAY 24, 2003, I (MELODY) BACKED IN MY 1998 EDDIE BAUER FORD EXPEDITION INTO MY GARAGE AROUND 8:15 PM FOR THE NIGHT. AROUND 8:30 PM, MY SON AND I LEFT WITH A NEIGHBOR TO A HOUSEWARMING PARTY 2 BLOCKS AWAY WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS ASLEEP IN THE HOUSE. WE RETURNED TO OUR HOME AROUND 10 PM AND DID EVEYTHING AS USUAL (SHOWER, BED). MY SON AND I FELL ASLEEP IN THE LIVING ROOM AREA WATCHING TELEVISION AROUND 11 PM. AROUND 1:15PM I HEARD THE GARAGE DOOR SOUND LIKE IT WAS OPENED AND I PROCEEDED OUT THE FRONT DOOR AS MY HUSBAND WAS RIGHT BEHIND ME; HE HAD HEARD THE SOUND ALSO IN THE BEDROOM. AS I CREPT DOWN A FEW STEPS, WE HAD SEEN SMOKE COMING FROM THE GARAGE AREA AND I YELLED "THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE, RUN!" WE BOTH RAN BACK INTO THE HOUSE, I GRABBED MY SON SLEEPING BY THE WINDOWS AND MY HUSBAND GRABBED THE KEYS TO HIS TRUCK AND HIS CELL PHONE. MY SON AND I RAN TO NEIGHBORS HOUSES TO CALL THE FIRE DEPT. AND MY HUSBAND OPENED THE FRONT SIDE ENTRANCE INTO THE GARAGE AND MOVED HIS TRUCK THAT WAS PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY OF THE HOUSE. WE STOOD ACROSS THE STREET WATCHING OUR HOUSE BURN WHILE THE FIRE DEPT. EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. AS MY HUSBAND AND I SAT OUTSIDE OUR BURNED HOME THAT EARLY MORNING, WE CONTACTED STATE FARM TO MAKE A CLAIM AND FIND OUT WHAT TO DO. ON JUNE 9, 2003, INSURANCE INVESTIGATORS AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM FORD MOTOR CO. CAM TO THE HOUSE TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WHICH ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. LATER, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE INFORMED THAT QUITE POSSIBLY THE BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH OR CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE.*AK