NHTSA Complaint #11035607 — 2006 FORD F-150

MY TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE YESTERDAY. DUE TO A HEAT SHIELD MISSING OVER PASSENGER SIDE CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAUSED THE PLASTIC GROMMETS THAT HOLD THE SOUND BARRIER MATERIAL ON THE FLOORBOARD TO DROP AND HANG ON TOP OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER UNTIL THE MATERIAL CAUGHT ON FIRE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS STILL INVESTIGATING HOW THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HEAT SHIELD WAS MISSING. LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT THE TRUCK AND IT WAS USED, THEY HAD TO DO SERVICE WORK ON IT BECAUSE I PURCHASED THE TRUCK WITH A BROKEN FRONT COIL SPRING AND THE TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK TUBE HAD ROTTED. EVEN THOUGH THE TRUCK WAS MISSING A HEAT SHIELD, I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE ANY KIND OF FLAMMABLE MATERIAL NEAR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER JUST IN CASE A HEAT SHIELD HAPPENS TO ROT AND FALL OFF OR FOR ANY REASON THE HEAT SHIELD IS MISSING .THE FIRE TRAVELED THROUGH THE MATERIAL ALMOST TO THE TOP OF MY ENGINE. AFTER I GOT THE FLAMES OUT IT WAS STILL SMOLDERING AND SMOLDERED UP INTO A SPACE I COULD NOT REACH TO NOR SEE. I ALSO BELIEVE A FIRE RETARDANT SYSTEM SHOULD BE CREATED TO DOUSE FLAMES IN A SECTION OF AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT THAT CANNOT BE REACHED AND WOULD PROBABLY SAVE COUNTLESS LIVES PROPERTY AND INVESTED MONEY INTO VEHICLE AND OTHER THINGS THAT A VEHICLE ON FIRE COULD DESTROY.