NHTSA Complaint #10470688 — 2005 FORD RANGER

WHILE TURNING A CORNER THE TRUCK JUST SHUT OFF AND DIED. HAD TO PUSH IT OVER TWO LANES AND INTO A PARKING LOT ONLY TO FIND OUT THE FUEL PUMP INERTIA SWITCH WAS POPPED. RESET IT AND THE TRUCK STARTED FOR A FEW MINUTES BUT WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE OFF IT DIED AGAIN. RECHECKED THE INERTIA SWITCH AND THIS TIME IT WAS NOT POPPED. PULLED THE CONNECTOR OFF OF THE SWITCH AND JUMPED THE CONNECTOR AND THE TRUCK RAN FINE ALL THE WAY HOME. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS SWITCH HAS GIVEN ME TROUBLE. ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO IT DID THE SAME THING BUT THOUGHT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP AND REPLACED A $400.00 FUEL PUMP ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER THAT THE FUEL PUMP INERTIA SWITCH HAD POPPED. THIS SWITCH SEEMS TO POP IN SOME ODD AND BAD LOCATIONS WITH NO APPARENT REASON. NO BUMPS IN THE ROAD, NO HARD BRAKING, OR HARD ACCELERATION ETC. THIS TIME WHEN I PULLED THE SWITCH I FOUND THE CONNECTOR SLIGHTLY MELTED AND REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A LOOSE CONNECTION IN THE SWITCH ITSELF. HAD TO ORDER A SWITCH KIT WHICH RELOCATES IT INTO THE FUSE PANEL KICK PLATE OF THE TRUCK. FORD SHOULD RECALL THIS AS IT IS A GOOD WAY TO CAUSE AND ACCIDENT IF THE TRUCK WAS GOING HIGH SPEED AND ALL THE SUDDEN STALLS AND YOU LOOSE ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKES ETC. COULD GET SOMEONE KILLED. THANKFULLY I CAUGHT MINE BECAUSE I AM A MECHANIC AND KNOW A LOT ABOUT FORDS. *TR