NHTSA Complaint #10809800 — 2008 FORD E-150

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES TO PARK THE CAR THE WAS A LOUD RIFLE SHOT SOUND, FLASH AND VEHICLE JOLT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AND THE BREAK WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. DURING REPAIR THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE WITH THE MASTER CYLINDER CRUSE CONTROL CANCELLING SWITCH. THE SWITCH BLEW APART AND IGNITED THE ATOMIZED BREAK FLUID THAT WAS EXPELLED FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. FORTUNATELY THE EXPLODING BREAK FLUID SELF EXTINGUISHED AVOIDING AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. SINCE THE TRIGGERING OF THIS EVENT WAS THE ACT OF APPLYING THE BRAKES IT WAS ONLY BY CHANCE THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE EVENT TOTALLY DISABLED THE FRONT BRAKES AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE BRAKE FLUID MIST WOULD HAVE LIKELY IGNITED FURTHER BACK IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR UNDER THE CHASSIS. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS RECALLS OF FORD PRODUCTS OVER A 20+ YEAR PERIOD FOR THIS SWITCH COMPONENT CAUSING BOTH FIRES AND DEATHS BUT THIS VEHICLE'S S/N WAS NOT ON THE LIST FOR GETTING NOTIFIED. LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE DIDN'T DO THEIR "HOMEWORK" ON THIS ONE, I AM NOT SURE THIS VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE THE REPAIR BILL FOR THE REPLACEMENT WORK AND THE GENTLEMAN SHOWED ME THE BLOWN OUT SHELL OF THE SWITCH. I PICKED UP ONE OF THE PARTS FROM OUR PARKING SLAB. I HAVE NOTIFIED FORD BY EMAIL.