NHTSA Complaint #10238811 — 2000 FORD F-250 SD

CRUISE CONTROL CEASED WORKING. SINCE THIS DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A SERIOUS ISSUE, OTHER THAN SIGNIFICANT DISCOMFORT ON LONG TRIPS, AND THE TRUCK CONTINUED TO OPERATE ACCEPTABLY EXCEPT FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL, I CONTINUED DRIVING. APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS LATER SMOKE WAS DETECTED WHEN TRUCK WAS STARTED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION (STILL IN MY DRIVEWAY, TRUCK STILL RUNNING), FLAMES WERE SEEN UNDER THE HOOD AT THE WIRING BESIDE THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE FIRE SOON STOPPED, AND THE WIRING WAS COOL. TRUCK WAS STILL SEEMED TO OPERATE PROPERLY, INCLUDING BRAKES, SO I PROCEEDED WITH MY PLANS AND DROVE THE TRUCK. THE NEXT MORNING AFTER THE INITIAL FIRE INCIDENT, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK WHEN STARTED, CAUSING BRIEF BUT WELL VOICED DISCOMFORT FROM MY DAUGHTER. THE SMOKE CAME FROM THE SAME WIRING. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, THE SECOND DAY AFTER THE INITIAL FIRE INCIDENT, I TOOK THE TRUCK TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP (MONDAY MORNING). THE OWNER TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SPEED CONTROL SWITCH AND I SHOULD TAKE IT TO FORD. FORD TOLD ME THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS SWITCH FOR MY TRUCK BECAUSE IT IS A DIESEL. THE RECALL 06V286000 MATCHES THE CONDITIONS AND DESCRIPTION IN THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH COULD OVERHEAT, RESULT IN SMOKE, OR BURN IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE. AFTER RETURNING TO THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP, THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED AND A FUSED WIRING HARNESS WAS INSTALLED, PURCHASED FROM FORD. THE FORD DEALERSHIP I HAD CONTACTED, THE ONE WHERE THE PART WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PURCHASED FROM, HAD 1,200 OF THEM IN STOCK, ACCORDING TO THE PHONE CONVERSATION I OVERHEARD. *TR