NHTSA Complaint #10215473 — 2001 FORD RANGER

FORD 2001 RANGER WAS NOTIFIED AUGUST 2007 OF A SAFETY DEFECT WITH THE SPEED CONTROL WIRING. I WENT TO MY DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THE NEW WIRING HARNESS WAS NOT AVAILABLE, BUT THE EXISTING WIRING WAS UNPLUGGED, WHICH WOULD DISABLE THE CRUISE CONTROL, & THE NEW HARNESS WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN NOVEMBER. IMMEDIATELY, AFTER THE DEALER UNPLUGGED THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS), THERE WAS A FAULT LIGHT FOR THE BRAKE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM. I WENT BACK TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND ASK WHY, & WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO CONNECTION TO THE SPEED CONTROL SENSOR. THEY SAID THEY 'FIXED' THE PROBLEM, AND I DROVE HOME. IN LESS THAN TWO MILES THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. THE NEXT MORNING, THE LIGHT CAME ON TWICE WHILE DRIVING TO AND FROM WORK. AGAIN THE DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT RELATED TO THE SPEED CONTROL PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I HAVE VISITED SEVERAL WEB SITES WHERE MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE ALSO HAVING THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM, WHICH ONLY STARTED WHEN THE SCDS WAS DISCONNECTED, WHILE WAITING FOR THEIR NEW WIRING HARNESS. WHEN THIS WARNING LIGHT IS ON, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. WHEN I RECONNECTED THE SCDS, THE WARNING LIGHT DOES NOT TURN ON AND THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM WORKS NORMALLY. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND TO ASK WHEN I CAN GET THE NEW WIRING HARNESS INSTALLED. I AM BEING TOLD THE TWO PROBLEMS ARE NOT RELATED, AND THAT THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH NEW HARNESS KITS AVAILABLE. I CHOOSE TO HAVE BETTER BRAKES EVERY DAY, SO I HAVE RECONNECTED THE SCDS UNTIL I CAN GET THE NEW WIRING HARNESS INSTALLED. HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING THE SAME THING? HOW LONG IS REASONABLE FOR FORD TO DELAY GETTING THE NEW HARNESS INSTALLED? *TR