NHTSA Complaint #11291772 — 2007 FORD EDGE

TAILLIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE, PASSENGER SIDE, ALONG WITH DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL. THINKING IT WAS A BURNED OUT BULB, I REMOVED THE TAIL LIGHT CONNECTOR FROM THE PLASTIC HOUSING. I NOTICED THAT THE BULB HAD TOTALLY FUZED ITSELF TO THE CONNECTOR. WHILE THE BULB FILAMENTS APPEAR INTACT, THE BULB AND CONNECTOR HAD GENERATED ENOUGH HEAT TO ESSENTIALLY MELT THE BASE OF THE BULB TO THE CONNECTOR INTO ONE UNIT. ODDLY ENOUGH, WHEN LOOKING FOR THE CAUSE OF WHY SO MUCH HEAT WOULD BE GENERATED, I GOOGLED "CAR TAIL LIGHT CONNECTOR AND BULB MELTED". SURPRISE SURPRISE, I WAS DIRECTED TO THE FORD EDGE FORUM WHERE THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT. NATURALLY, I NEEDED TO GET THIS FIXED QUICKLY AND MY HUSBAND WAS GOING TO THE SALVAGE YARD FOR UNRELATED PARTS, SO I ASKED HIM TO SEE IF HE COULD FIND A CONNECTOR, SINCE THIS PARTICULAR ITEM WAS COMMON TO MANY, MANY FORD AND MERCURY VEHICLES. HE FOUND T FORD FOCUS' THAT USED THIS CONNECTOR, AND BOUGHT THEM. OF NOTE, THE TWO CONNECTORS (1 WAS A "SPARE") HE BROUGHT HOME WERE BOTH SHOWING SIGNS OF DISCOLORATION OF THE PLASTIC ON THE CONNECTOR. THE FORUMS SAY FORD HAS NEGATIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS, BUT YOU GOTTA WONDER. DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE POOR QUALITY OF THE CHEAP PLASTIC RETAINER CLIP USED TO KEEP THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTED TO THE CONNECTOR. I REMOVED FOUR UNITS. ALL FOUR RETAINER CLIPS BROKE OR DISINTEGRATED. MY FEAR IT THE POTENTIAL OF A FIRE HAZARD AND SIGNIFICANT ELECTRICAL FAILURE AS THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE BULB REPLACEMENT. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED. I DO HAVE THE BULB IN QUESTION IF YOU NEED ME TO SEND IT IN.