NHTSA Complaint #10172560 — 1992 FORD CROWN VICTORIA

I PARKED MY 1992 FORD CROWN VICTORIA ON THE STREET WHILE I WAS AT MY HOME FOR 45 MINUTES. I DECIDED TO LEAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. WHEN I GOT TO MY CAR, I SMELLED BURNING AND SAW WISPS OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH MY ENGINE AREA. I QUICKLY OPENED MY DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND SMELLED SMOKE AND POPPED THE HOOD. INSIDE, THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE (GRAPEFRUIT SIZE) IN FRONT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. I RAN INTO THE HOUSE AND GOT SOME WATER AND DOUSED THE FLAMES. I WAS VERY LUCKY, BECAUSE I SEEM TO HAVE CAUGHT THE FIRE WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF WHEN IT STARTED. I TOOK THE CAR INTO MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, AND THE PROBLEM WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. THEY REPLACED THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH AND A WIRING HARNESS THAT HAD BURNED (AT MY EXPENSE). THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. I CALLED FORD TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR WAS UNDER RECALL BACK IN 1999, AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED ON 7/7/1999 WHEN MY DAD OWNED THE CAR. THIS WAS ACTUALLY EVEN MORE CONCERNING TO ME, BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT SWITCH, WHICH SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE ORIGINAL SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION PROBLEM, SEEMS TO BE DEFECTIVE AS WELL!! SO MY CAR IS NOW ON ITS SECOND "FIXED" CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. I AM ALSO CONCERNED FROM MY DISCUSSION WITH THE NHTSA REPRESENTATIVE. HE SAID THAT NO RECALLS CAN BE ISSUED FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE OVER 10 YEARS OLD. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT MY COMPLAINT WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING SINCE MY CAR WAS OVER 10 YEARS OLD. I DON'T EXPECT TO BE REIMBURSED FROM MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE FIRE, HOWEVER, THIS IS DISTURBING TO ME KNOWING THAT MY COMPLAINT COULD BE DISMISSED OUT OF HAND. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OTHERS DON'T HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. ESPECIALLY WHEN DEALING WITH A CAR SETTING ITSELF ON FIRE WHEN IT IS NOT RUNNING. THIS COMPLAINT SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY EVALUATED BEFORE DISMISSING IT. IF THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED IN MY GARAGE WHILE I SLEPT, IT COULD HAVE EASILY BURNED DOWN THE HOUSE, OR KILLED SOMEONE. *NM