NHTSA Complaint #11140496 — 2006 FORD FIVE HUNDRED

PULLED IN DROP OFF A DONATION AT A SECOND HAND STORE. I PUT IT IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE; OPENED THE TRUNK; AND LOOKED UP STARTLED WHEN A GUY SITTING NEARBY SAID THAT MY CAR WAS SMOKING AND ON FIRE (ABOUT 10 SECONDS SINCE I SWITCHED THE CAR OFF AND GOT OUT). HE WAS ON THE RIGHT, SO I MOVED AROUND THE CAR TO THE RIGHT LOOKING TOWARDS THE ENGINE. AN EMPLOYEE OF THE STORE THAT WAS ON THE BACK, LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR POINTED TOWARDS AND SAID, 'LOOK! YOUR SIDE MIRROR IS ON FIRE!' I THEN SAW THE SMOKE BILLOWING TO THE LEFT (A STRONG AFTERNOON BREEZE WAS BLOWING NORTH). I CAME AROUND AND PEERED IN BEHIND THE ACTUAL 'MIRROR' PART; THE FIRE HAD JUST GONE OUT. LOOKING AT IT, I COULD SEE IT WAS THE SECURITY LIGHT ON THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE MIRROR; IT WAS COMPLETELY MELTED AND FUSED TO THE MIRROR HOUSING- A BUBBLY MESS OF PLASTIC. IT SMELLED OF ACRID, MELTED PLASTIC AND BURNED ELECTRONICS. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE MIRROR HAD CAUGHT FIRE AND STARTED BURNING FOR A BIT BEFORE THE FUSE FINALLY BLEW. I AM SO GLAD MY BABY AND KINDERGARTENER WEREN'T IN THE CAR AT THIS TIME! THEY USUALLY ARE. THE LENGTH OF TIME OF TIME IT TOOK FOR THE FUSE TO FINALLY BLOW IS QUITE ALARMING! IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE RAPID SPREAD OF A FIRE THAT WOULD QUICKLY OVERTAKE THE VEHICLE. WHAT IF I WAS AT A GAS STATION WHEN THIS HAPPENED WHEN THEIR HAPPENED TO BE SOME PETROL-VAPOR PRESENT. MY NEXT STOP WAS TO GET TWO PROPANE TANKS FILLED. THEY HAVE TO BLEED OFF A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PROPANE EACH TIME WHEN FINISHED FILLING A TANK. IT ISN'T FAR FETCHED THAT THIS ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH FAILED SAFEGUARDS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN FAR MORE INJURY THAN MY SLIGHTLY BURNED FINGERS. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENS TO SOMEONE. THIS IS A FANTASTIC CAR! WE LOVE IT. THIS IS PROBABLY AN EASY FIX, BUT IF IT ISN'T FIXED, MUCH WORSE COULD HAPPEN!