NHTSA Complaint #10936531 — 2011 FORD FUSION

I REPLACED A REAR TAIL LIGHT BULB THAT WAS NOT WORKING AND FOUND THAT THE SOCKET APPEARED TO HAVE SUSTAINED DAMAGE FROM AN OVERHEAT CONDITION. THIS CAUSED THE NEW BULB TO NOT FIT SECURELY IN THE SOCKET AND NOT MAKE SOLID CONTACT. I CHECKED THE OTHER TAIL LIGHT AND FOUND THE SAME CONDITION. BOTH SOCKETS WERE DISCOLORED, BROWN TO BLACK NEAR THE BULB, APPARENTLY FROM BEING OVER HEATED. SEVERAL DAYS LATER I REPLACED THE RIGHT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT AND FOUND THAT THE SOCKET HAD MELTED, REQUIRING THE SOCKET TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T THINK THE TAIL LIGHT AND HEADLIGHT EVENTS ARE DIRECTLY RELATED, BUT I FEEL THAT THIS EXCESSIVE HEAT IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD AND IS INDICATIVE OF A SERIOUS ENGINEERING DEFECT WITH THE FUSION. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THE BULBS I REPLACED WERE ORIGINAL AND NO PRIOR MODIFICATION OR REPAIR HAS BEEN DONE TO ANY OF THE VEHICLE'S LIGHTING. I AM NOT INCLUDING PICTURES OF THE TAIL LIGHT SOCKET AT THIS TIME BECAUSE IF I ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THEM TO TAKE A PICTURE THERE IS A STRONG LIKELIHOOD THEY WILL STOP WORKING. I HAVE INCLUDED PICTURES OF THE MELTED HEADLIGHT CONNECTOR.