NHTSA Complaint #10138758 — 2004 FORD F-550 SD

THE LOSS VEHICLE IS A 2004 FORD F-550 CHASSIS WITH A TOW BODY, WHITE IN COLOR. A 7.3 LITER POWER STROKE TURBO DIESEL ENGINE POWERS THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ID NUMBER IS [XXX]. MACK TOWING OWNS THE TRUCK IN MIAMI, FLORIDA. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN THE OPERATOR NOTICED THE VEHICLE LOSING POWER AND THEN STALLED. HE THEN NOTICED SMOKE AND SAW FIRE UNDER THE HOOD IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. EXAMINATION OF THE EXTERIOR REVEALED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, PROGRESSED TO THE EXTERIOR CAUSING FIRE DAMAGE TO THE HOOD AND BOTH FENDERS. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE EXTERIOR REVEALED THAT PRIOR TO THIS EVENT EXTERIOR WAS IN OVERALL GOOD CONDITION ALL WINDOW GLASS WAS BROKEN AND MELTED DUE TO THE FIRE. THE FRONT TIRES AND WHEELS WERE ALSO PRESENT AND DAMAGED BY FIRE. THE REAR TIRES AND WHEELS WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. THE TIRE TREAD DEPTH ON THE REAR TIRES WAS 7/32 WHILE THE FRONT WAS LESS. NO COMPONENTS WERE NOTED AS BEING MISSING FROM THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. EXAMINATION OF THE INTERIOR OF THIS VEHICLE REVEALED THAT THE FIRE, WHICH ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, PROGRESSED INTO THE INTERIOR TOTALLY DESTROYING IT. NO COMPONENTS WERE NOTED AS MISSING. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE BURN PATTERNS NOTED THAT THE POINT OF ORIGIN WAS THE RIGHT SIDE FIREWALL OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. EXAMINATION OF THE WIRING FOUND IN THIS AREA NOTED MANY AREAS OF DAMAGE WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OR BEEN CAUSED BY THE FIRE. THE POINT OF ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS AT THE POSITION WHERE THE ELECTRIC BLOWER FAN, MOTOR AND SHROUD HAD BEEN BEFORE THE FIRE, BUT WERE MISSING AT THE MOMENT OF THE EXAMINATION.. THIS SPOT WAS THE MOT HEAVILY DAMAGED POINT OF THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION FOUND NO SIGNS OF ANY OIL LEAKS THAT CONTRIBUTED OR TO BE CAUSED BY THE FIRE. ALL OTHER CAUSES WERE ELIMINATED AS A CAUSE FOR THIS FIRE. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)