The National Safety Commission Alerts
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Fire Hazards In Faulty Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury Cruise Control Switches Have Not Been Repaired
Bring Recalled Vehicles to Dealers to Disconnect Faulty Switches Immediately
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exhorted owners of certain unrepaired Ford, Lincoln and Mercury SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and certain passenger cars that contain a safety defect to take their vehicles to dealer authorized repair shops without delay, for their cruise control switch must be disconnected. Because most dealers will perform this as a "drive through" service, vehicle owners will neither have to leave their vehicles at the dealership nor schedule an appointment in advance.
By not having the switch disconnected, a fire in the vehicle could start at any time; the key does not need to be in the ignition, and the driver does not need to employ the cruise control system. According safety agency, fire is always a danger under these conditions, regardless of the age of the vehicle, and it's even possible that the fire could occur while the vehicle is parked and unattended. The problem is known to have caused several dwelling fires.
NHTSA said it is issuing the consumer advisory to answer concerns that many owners have not responded to numerous safety defect recall notifications that concern roughly 9.6 million registered vehicles. It said that only five million vehicles have been repaired so far, which means that approximately five million passenger cars and light trucks still have the faulty switches intact, and are in danger of catching fire.
As an interim safety measure, all owners of recalled vehicles not repaired yet are being urged by Ford and the NHTSA that have not been repaired to bring their vehicles to dealers as soon as possible to have the faulty switches disconnected. Ford is in the process of re-notifying owners of the SUVs and other light trucks to stress the importance of having the switch disconnected.
The NHTSA said this interim fix will eliminate the risk of fire while affected Ford and Mercury owners are waiting for final repairs from the company.
The vehicles recalled are:
1. 1993 – 2004 F150
2. 1993 – 1999 F250 (gasoline engine)
3. 1993 – 1996 Bronco
4. 1994 – 1996 Econoline
5. 1997 – 2002 Ford Expedition
6. 1998 – 2002 Lincoln Navigator
7. 1998 – 2002 Ford Ranger
8. 1992 – 1998 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car
9. 1993 – 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII
10. 1993 – 1995 Ford Taurus SHO with automatic transmission
11. 1994 – Mercury Capri
12. 1998 – 2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer
13. 2001 – 2002 Ford Explorer Sport and Explorer Sport Trac
14. 1992 – 1993 and 1997 – 2003 Ford E-150-350 gasoline or natural gas vehicles
15. 2002 – E-550 gasoline engine vehicles
16. 1996 – 2003 E-450 gasoline or natural gas vehicles
17. 1994 – 2002 F-250 through F-550 super Duty trucks (gasoline engine)
18. 2000 – 2002 Ford Excursion (gasoline engine)
19. 2003 – F250 – F550 Super Duty, Ford Excursion
20. 1995 – 2002 Ford F53 Motor home chassis
21. 2002 – 2003 Lincoln Blackwood
If you have questions, contact your local Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealer, or call 888-222-2751. Further information is available at: http://www.ford.com/dynamic/metatags/article-detail/223_important_notice_voluntary_recall_update
Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exhorted owners of certain unrepaired Ford, Lincoln and Mercury SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and certain passenger cars that contain a safety defect to take their vehicles to dealer authorized repair shops without delay, for their cruise control switch must be disconnected. Because most dealers will perform this as a "drive through" service, vehicle owners will neither have to leave their vehicles at the dealership nor schedule an appointment in advance.
By not having the switch disconnected, a fire in the vehicle could start at any time; the key does not need to be in the ignition, and the driver does not need to employ the cruise control system. According safety agency, fire is always a danger under these conditions, regardless of the age of the vehicle, and it's even possible that the fire could occur while the vehicle is parked and unattended. The problem is known to have caused several dwelling fires.
NHTSA said it is issuing the consumer advisory to answer concerns that many owners have not responded to numerous safety defect recall notifications that concern roughly 9.6 million registered vehicles. It said that only five million vehicles have been repaired so far, which means that approximately five million passenger cars and light trucks still have the faulty switches intact, and are in danger of catching fire.
As an interim safety measure, all owners of recalled vehicles not repaired yet are being urged by Ford and the NHTSA that have not been repaired to bring their vehicles to dealers as soon as possible to have the faulty switches disconnected. Ford is in the process of re-notifying owners of the SUVs and other light trucks to stress the importance of having the switch disconnected.
The NHTSA said this interim fix will eliminate the risk of fire while affected Ford and Mercury owners are waiting for final repairs from the company.
The vehicles recalled are:
1. 1993 – 2004 F150
2. 1993 – 1999 F250 (gasoline engine)
3. 1993 – 1996 Bronco
4. 1994 – 1996 Econoline
5. 1997 – 2002 Ford Expedition
6. 1998 – 2002 Lincoln Navigator
7. 1998 – 2002 Ford Ranger
8. 1992 – 1998 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car
9. 1993 – 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII
10. 1993 – 1995 Ford Taurus SHO with automatic transmission
11. 1994 – Mercury Capri
12. 1998 – 2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer
13. 2001 – 2002 Ford Explorer Sport and Explorer Sport Trac
14. 1992 – 1993 and 1997 – 2003 Ford E-150-350 gasoline or natural gas vehicles
15. 2002 – E-550 gasoline engine vehicles
16. 1996 – 2003 E-450 gasoline or natural gas vehicles
17. 1994 – 2002 F-250 through F-550 super Duty trucks (gasoline engine)
18. 2000 – 2002 Ford Excursion (gasoline engine)
19. 2003 – F250 – F550 Super Duty, Ford Excursion
20. 1995 – 2002 Ford F53 Motor home chassis
21. 2002 – 2003 Lincoln Blackwood
If you have questions, contact your local Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealer, or call 888-222-2751. Further information is available at: http://www.ford.com/dynamic/metatags/article-detail/223_important_notice_voluntary_recall_update
Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.
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