NHTSA Complaint #739459 — 1987 FORD THUNDERBIRD

ALL OF THE INCIDENTS THAT I HAVE REPORTED IN THIS FORM ARE RELATED! OUR CAR KEPT WANTING TO DIE AT STOPLIGHTS AND WE TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC SEVERAL TIMES TO GET IT FIXED, BUT, THEY NEVER COULD QUITE GET IT RIGHT. AT 3:30 AM. ON 07/06/2000, I SMELLED SMOKE IN THE HOUSE AND IT AWOKE ME FROM A SOUND SLEEP! I GOT UP TO SEE WERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM AND IT WAS COMING FROM OUR ATTACHED GARAGE! MY 1987 FORD THUNDERBIRD WAS ON FIRE! I HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL FOR SMOKE INHALATION AND MY WIFE AND STEP-SON WERE TREATED AT THE SCENE FOR THE SAME. WE HAD EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO OUR GARAGE AND EXTENSIVE SMOKE DAMAGE TO OUR HOUSE. WE HAD TO LEAVE OUR HOUSE FOR 4 AND ONE-HALF WEEKS WHILE OUR HOUSE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE CAR WAS TOTALLED AND MY 1984 CHEVY VAN, WHICH WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THE CAR, HAD &5,000.00 DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE. THE CONTENTS OF THE GARAGE WERE DISTROYED! WE ARE STILL TRYING TO RECOVER FROM THIS DISASTER! ITOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF MY CAR AND THERE IS NO REASON, BESIDES DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT, THAT THIS TERRIBLE THING COULD HAVE HAPPENED. JESSE STOREY, THE STATE FIRE INSPECTOR, CHECKED THE CAR OUT AND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS DEFINITELY ELECTRICAL IN NATURE, ACCORDING TO HIM AND ALSO OUR MECHANIC. I SENT AN E-MAIL TO THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY TELLING THEM OF MY INCIDENT AND SUPPLYING THEM WITH THE V.I.N. AND OTHER INFORMATION AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD NO RECALL ITEMS ON THAT CAR. FROM WHAT I READ IN THE PAPER RECENTLY, THEY OUT-RIGHT LIED TO ME! A JUDGE IN CALIFORNIA HAS ORDERED FORD TO RECALL 1.7 MILLION VEHICLES WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE LIST OF RECALLS INCLUDES OUR CAR(THUNDERBIRD, 1983-88). I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRUTHFUL WITH ME WHEN I QUESTIONED THEM BY WAY OF E-MAIL! I ALSO FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR LOSES AND ALL OF THE MISERY THAT THIS INCIDENT HAS PUT US THROUGH. I WOULD SETTLE FOR $100,000.00. I FEEL THAT IF THEY WOULD HAVE FIXED THIS PROBLEM, WHICH APPEARS TO BE THEIR FAULT, WE WOULD NOT OF HAD TO GO THROUGH THIS TO.*A