NHTSA Complaint #10145412 — 2001 FORD F-150

PRELIMINARY DATA.. FORD F150 2001 SUPERCREW WAS LEFT UNATTENDED WHILE SHOPPING. UPON RETURN I NOTED A PUDDLE OF FLUID THAT WAS NOT PRESENT EARLIER UNDER THE VEHICLE. UPON LEANING DOWN ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT TO INSPECT FOR THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK SMALL FLAMES WERE NOTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. UPON OPENING THE HOOD FOR FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS NOTED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ON FIRE (APPEARING TO ME AND OTHER OBSERVERS TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE) WITH THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR COMPLETED MELTED. THE FLAMES FIRST OBSERVED WERE FORCED BY THE MOLTEN PLASTIC DRIPPING DOWN INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED BUT THANKS TO SOME EMPLOYEES OF THE SHOP AND THE AVAILABILITY THERE OF AN APPROVED EXTINGUISHER, THE FIRE WAS TERMINATED BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SOME 7 MINUTES LATER. COMMENTS WERE MADE BY OTHERS AND LATER BY INTERNET RESEARCH THAT THE DAMAGE HAS ALL OF THE APPEARANCES OF BEING FORCED BY THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH ISSUE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY UNDER EVALUATION BY A FORD DEALERSHIP AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY. FORTUNATELY THE VEHICLE WAS UNOCCUPIED AT THE TIME AND WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A STRIP CENTER PARKING LOT WITH NO VEHICLES AROUND IT SHOULD THE FIRE HAD TIME TO DEVELOP FURTHER. EARLIER OR LATER, IT COULD HAVE EASILY CONSUMED MY HOME.*JB