NHTSA Complaint #10181952 — 2001 FORD F-350 SD

FORD F350 SUPER DUTY XLT LARIAT 7.3L POWERSTROKE DIESEL 2001 MODEL MY TRUCK HAS A FACTORY INSTALLED ENGINE BLOCK HEATER, WHICH I HAVE TO USE TO GET IT TO START ON COLD MORNINGS. AT 7:15AM, I WAS TALKING TO MY WIFE ON OUR CORDLESS PHONE & IT WENT DEAD. AFTER SOME SEARCHING, I FOUND OUT THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD TRIPPED. THIS CIRCUIT BREAKER POWERS THE WALL THE PHONE BASE STATION WAS PLUGGED INTO, AND THAT WALL IS SHARED WITH THE GARAGE. AFTER SOME MORE SEARCHING, I COULD NOT LOCATE THE SHORT THAT CAUSED THE TRIP AND I RESET THE BREAKER. IT TRIPPED AGAIN. I HAD TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL, SO I FIGURED I WOULD WAIT AND LOOK SOME MORE WHEN I CAME HOME. I OPENED MY GARAGE DOOR TO FIND MY TRUCK ON FIRE. THE PLUG FOR THE ENGINE BLOCK HEATER HAD SHORTED OUT, MELTED & CAUGHT FIRE....THIS CAUGHT MY TRUCK ON FIRE. THE BACK SIDE OF THE PLUG HAD MELTED AND THE WIRE HAD BURNED AND BECOME DISCONNECTED. NO OTHER PART OF THE WIRE WAS DAMAGED....ONLY THE PLUG. I CALLED FORD, AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT PART OF A RECALL & THE COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. MY CONCERN IS THAT, OTHER THAN FEELING A LITTLE "PUT OUT" AT THE SITUATION & HOW I WAS TREATED BY FORD, WHAT IF I HAD PULLED MY TRUCK AS FAR FORWARD AS I USUALLY DO.....THERE IS AN ORNAMENTAL PINE TREE AT THE CORNER OF MY HOUSE......AND THE FLAMING MOLTEN PLASTIC FROM MY TRUCK HAD DRIPPED ON THE PINE NEEDLES & CAUGHT THE PINE TREE ON FIRE........THIS WOULD HAVE ENGAGED MY HOME. AND, WHAT IF IT HAD HAPPENED AT NIGHT & I HAD NOT PUT IT OUT RIGHT AWAY. I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. BY THE WAY, THE PLUG ON MY ENGINE BLOCK HEATER HAS ALWAYS BEEN WARM TO THE TOUCH WHEN PLUGGED IN. I HAVE NEVER HAD A DIESEL BEFORE & ASSUMED THIS WAS NORMAL DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL CURRENT THAT THE HEATER PULLED, AND THE MECHANIC SAID THIS WAS TRUE. MY NEW ENGINE BLOCK HEATER WORKS JUST FINE & THE PLUG IS NOT WARM TO THE TOUCH. OBVIOUSLY, IT WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE TIME I BOUGHT IT. *NM