NHTSA Complaint #10678596 — 1999 FORD RANGER

ON 20 JANUARY 2015, APPROX 11:30PM WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE SINCE THE PREVIOUS EVENING, THE VEHICLE ALARM WENT ON IT'S OWN. I WENT AND TURNED IT OF F AND WHILE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY, I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I WENT INTO ACTION AND GOT THE HOOD OPEN, I SAW FLAMES COMING FROM THE SWITCH AT THE END OF THE MASTER CYLINDER. I'VE NOTICED THE SWITCH BEFORE, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT DID, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS PART OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. I MANAGED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE AT THAT POINT. THE SWITCH WAS COMPLETELY BURNED OUT, THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR WAS BADLY CHARRED BUT DID NOT BURN THROUGH (THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS). THE FOLLOWING DAY I WAS SEARCHING FOR A REPLACEMENT SWITCH (F3TA-9F924-CA) AND FOUND OUT IT WAS CALLED: SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH AND HAS TO DO WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. PLEASE NOTE THAT MY VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE CRUISE CONTROL. I FURTHER FOUND OUT THAT THE SWITCH IN QUESTION HAD BEEN THE CAUSE OR REPORTED TO BE THE CAUSE OF NUMEROUS VEHICLE FIRES WHILE PARKED AND NO KEY IN THE IGNITION. I CONTACTED A LOCAL FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO CAMPAIGN MESSAGES IN THE OASIS REPORTING (WHATEVER THAT IS). ALL I KNOW IS THAT THE SWITCH CAUGHT FIRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE WEB INDICATES THAT THE SWITCH APPEARS TO BE THE CAUSE OF NUMEROUS VEHICLE FIRES. I WAS LUCKY IN THAT I DECIDED TO FIND OUT WHY THE VEHICLE ALARM WENT ON, HAD I JUST TURNED IT OFF, AND GONE SOMEWHERE ELSE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE SWITCH SITUATION, IT APPEARS TO BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOUR ASSISTANCE APPRECIATED. *TR