NHTSA Complaint #10550259 — 2004 FORD RANGER

THE SRS PASSENGER AIRBAG ON/OFF SWITCH HAS A LIGHTBULB THAT IS HARD WIRED INTO THE BOARD INSIDE THE SWITCH MODULE. IT HAS A RELATIVELY SHORT LIFE SPAN, AND WHEN THE BULB BURNS OUT IS CAUSES THE MODULE TO DEACTIVATE THE SRS AIRBAGS IN BOTH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND THE PASSENGERS SIDE. THIS CAUSES THE OCCUPANT(S) TO BE UNPROTECTED AS THE AIRBAGS CANNOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION. THIS IS THE 2ND OCCURRENCE OF THIS IN MY VEHICLE IN THE LAST 4 YEARS, AND FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GLEAN IN ONLINE RESEARCH, THIS IS A "KNOWN" PROBLEM...AND NO DOUBT ONE THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS AWARE OF, OR SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROBLEM, AS I PERSONALLY HAVE REPORTED THIS TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY. FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S WILLFUL NEGLECT TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION BY NOT CHANGING THE SWITCH TO ALLOW FOR THE EASY AND INEXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT OF A $1.00 LED LIGHTBULB TO ALLOW EITHER THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE OR A QUALIFIED AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC WITH THE CAPABILITIES OF TESTING FOR THE CONTINUITY OF THE DEVICE IS BEING DONE FOR THE GREED OF THE BOTTOM LINE, AND THEIR TOTAL LACK OF CARE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT(S). I HAVE PERSONALLY PLACED A CALL, AND LEFT A VOICE MESSAGE ON 10/29/13, FOR [XXX], FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S GENERAL COUNSEL, TO CALL ME TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE, WITHOUT THE DECENCY OF A RETURN CALL IN OVER 24 HOURS. IN THE EVENT THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS DEFECT AS A MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT...WHICH TO CORRECT EACH TIME COSTS THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $150.00 TO $200.00 FOR THE REPLACEMENT "OEM" PART AND LABOR, AND ALSO DOES NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THESE (2) EXPENSES, I WILL FILE A SUIT IN U.S.FEDERAL COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE ACTUAL, COMPENSATORY AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES, AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPANDING THIS TO BE A "CLASS" FILING. *TR