NHTSA Complaint #10136840 — 1996 FORD F SERIES

ON 1/10/05, I ARRIVED HOME FROM WORK AND PARKED MY VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 6:00 PM. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED UNDER THE CARPORT 15 FEET AWAY FROM MY BEDROOM WINDOW. AT 12:30 AM, MY WIFE AND I HEARD A NOISE, LOOKED OUT THE BLINDS TO FIND FIRE COMING FROM DRIVERS SIDE EDGES OF HOOD. ME AND MY SON RAN OUT TO GET A GARDEN HOSE AS MY WIFE CALLED 911. AS I WAS PASSING BY THE VEHICLE THE PAINT WAS BEGINNING TO BURN OFF DIRECTLY ABOVE THE BREAK BOOSTER. I BEGAN SPRAYING THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE RADIATOR GRILL, AS MY SON WAS TRYING TO POP THE HOOD. I SPRAYED AROUND THE EDGES, FLAMES WERE COMING OUT MOSTLY FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE. THEN THE DRIVERS SIDE PLASTIC TIRE WELL BURNED OUT ENOUGH, I WAS ABLE TO GET WATER UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT 12:34 AM. THEY POPPED THE HOOD USING THEIR CABLE TOOL AND BEGAN TO APPLY WATER. LUCKILY THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITHIN ABOUT 15 MINUTES, DUE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ONLY A COUPLE OF BLOCKS AWAY. BECAUSE OF THE QUICK RESPONSE OF EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE, YOU CAN DEFINITELY TELL WHERE THE FIRE ORIGINATED. AS YOU CAN TELL BY THE PICTURES I HAVE ENCLOSED, THE AIR FILTER ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE SUFFERED HEAT DAMAGE, BUT WERE NOT DESTROYED. ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE THE RUBBER HOSES AND FUEL LINES WERE STILL INTACT AND NOT BURNED. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED WAS THE BREAK FLUID RESERVOIR, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. WHEN THE FIREMAN EXAMINED IT, THEY THOUGHT IT MAY HAVE COME FROM THE WIRING HARNESS, THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THE BREAK FLUID RESERVOIR CATCH ON FIRE. I ONLY HAD LIABILITY INSURANCE ON THIS VEHICLE. DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, I SOLD IT FOR SALVAGE ONLY. *JB