NHTSA Complaint #10328562 — 1994 FORD F-250

IN AUGUST, 2009, MY FORD TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED AND PLUGGED IN TO WARM THE ENGINE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO PUT THE FIRE OUT AND I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED WITH THE INTENTION OF GETTING IT REPAIRED. I WROTE TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S CLAIMS DEPARTMENT TO INFORM THEM WHAT HAPPENED, INCLUDING PICTURES, AND ADVISED THEM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS AVAILABLE TO THEM FOR INSPECTION. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT "INVOLVED IN ANY OPEN RECALLS THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED." IN NOVEMBER, 2009, I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY REGARDING THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. THE RECALL LETTER DESCRIBES PRECISELY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE. IT STATES, IN PART, "FORD CANNOT BE CONFIDENT THAT OVER MANY YEARS IN SERVICE, A SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH WILL NOT LEAK BRAKE FLUID, POSING THE RISK OF A FIRE. THIS CONDITION MAY OCCUR EITHER WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED OR WHEN IT IS BEING OPERATED." AFTER WRITING TO THE FORD CLAIMS DEPARTMENT AGAIN, ASKING FOR A RE-EVALUATION OF THIS PROBLEM, THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO OFFER ME ANY ASSISTANCE. THEY NEVER EXAMINED MY TRUCK, THEREFORE, THEY CANNOT POSSIBLY DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THERE HAS BEEN NO EFFORT ON FORD'S PART TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR REMEDY MY SITUATION, YET, I NOW RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE (MARCH, 2010) REGARDING POSSIBILITY OF FIRE TO THIS VEHICLE! *TR