NHTSA Complaint #10404973 — 1995 FORD BRONCO

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON MAY 28, 2011 WHEN MY WIFE HAVING THOUGHT WHAT SHE HEARD WAS THUNDER LOOKED OUT OF THE KITCHEN WINDOW INTO THE BACKYARD, AND SAW SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE A 1995 FORD BRONCO XLT. SHE THEN NOTIFIED ME AND I PROCEEDED OUTSIDE TO FIND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INDEED ON FIRE. THE FIRE STARTED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DIRECTLY OVER THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE. I ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE USING A WATER HOSE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. AT THE SAME TIME MY WIFE THEN CALLED THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AROUND 9:30 A.M. AND THEY ARRIVED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. BY THE TIME THE FIREMEN WHERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE WINDSHIELD ALONG WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WINDOW HAD SHATTERED. THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS DAMAGED, AND THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THE IGNITION WAS NOT ON, THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING, AND THE VEHICLE HAD NOT RAN FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK. AFTER DESCRIBING TO THE FIRE MARSHAL THE EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THE FIRE HE STATED THAT HE HAD ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE AND YEAR MODEL WHICH WAS DETERMINED TO BE A RESULT OF A SPEED DEACTIVATION SWITCH. I THEN CALLED FORD AND USING THE VIN NUMBER DISCOVERED THAT THE THIS VEHICLE DID INDEED HAVE A RECALL FOR SUCH A SWITCH. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND AM CURRENTLY WAITING FOR A REPLY ON THE MATTER.