NHTSA Complaint #10586547 — 1997 FORD F-350

WHILE DRIVING MY 1997 FORD F350 DIESEL PICKUP, PULLING A 36FT GOOSENECK HORSE TRAILER WITH MY TWO TEENAGE DAUGHTERS AND THEIR FOUR HORSES, THE ENGINE IN MY PICKUP SPONTANEOUSLY IGNITED. THERE WAS NO "CHECK ENGINE" WARNING LIGHT, AND THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED NORMAL. THE ONLY WARNING I HAD WAS SMOKE COMING UP FROM THE LEFT WHEEL WELL UPON SPEED DECREASE TO TURN A CORNER. I WAS TRAVELING A SHORT DISTANCE FROM HOME AND AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED (LESS THAN 40MPH) DURING THE TRAVEL FROM MY HOME TO THE LOCAL FAIRGROUNDS FOR RODEO PRACTICE. AS I TURNED THE CORNER, THE SMOKE BILLOWED. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND SMOKE FILLED THE CAB OF THE PICKUP. MY TWO DAUGHTERS AND I QUICKLY EVACUATED THE VEHICLE AND CALLED 911. WE QUICKLY UNLOADED THE LIVESTOCK FROM THE TRAILER AND GOT FAR AWAY FROM THE SCENE. MY FIANCE, WHO WAS TRAVELING BEHIND US IN ANOTHER VEHICLE, TRIED PUTTING THE FIRE OUT WITH THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER I CARRIED IN MY PICKUP, BUT TO NO AVAIL. AS AN EMERGENCY RESPONDER HIMSELF, HE HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO UNHOOK THE PICKUP FROM THE HORSE TRAILER AND PUSH IT AWAY AS IT BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND A TOTAL LOSS. FROM THE TIME I NOTICED THE SMOKE UNTIL THE FIRE CONSUMED THE VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN 15 MINUTES. MY DAUGHTERS HAVE BEEN TRAUMATIZED BY THIS INCIDENT. WE HAVE SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC LOSS AS A RESULT OF THIS SPONTANEOUS FIRE. I NEED TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THIS TO PREVENT OTHERS FROM SUFFERING SIMILAR LOSS, INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. I AM AWARE THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL VEHICLE. I RECEIVED NO RECALL NOTICES FROM FORD, OR WARNING OF ANY KIND THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN TO MY VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY PART (WHICH IS WHAT WE BELIEVED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THIS FIRE). *TR