Ford adds 4.5M vehicles to defective switch recall
Ford adds 4.5M vehicles to recall of defective cruise control switch that could cause fires

By Tom Krisher and Stephen Manning, AP Business Writers
On 6:00 pm EDT, Tuesday October 13, 2009
Buzz up! 278 Print.Companies:Ford Motor Co.
DETROIT (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday it will add 4.5 million older-model vehicles to the long list of those recalled because a defective cruise control switch could cause a fire.

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{"s" : "f","k" : "c10,l10,p20,t10","o" : "","j" : ""} The latest voluntary action pushes Ford's total recall due to faulty switches to 14.3 million registered vehicles over 10 years, capping the company's largest cumulative recall in history involving a single problem.

The recall covers 1.1 million Ford Windstar minivans that had a small risk of fire due to internal leaking from the switches. Ford said in a letter to federal regulators that it found a small number of reported fires linked to the problem during an internal investigation that began last year, but did not specify how many.

The remaining 3.4 million vehicles are Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models. Ford said there were no reports of fires with those models, most of them trucks and sport utility vehicles, but that they were included in the recall because they use the same switches. All vehicles covered by the recall are from the 1992 to 2003 model years.

Ford advised owners of all vehicles covered by the recall to park them outside until they are mailed instructions by the end of the month on how to get repairs.

The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker has struggled for a decade with the problem, which has prompted hundreds of complaints and dozens of lawsuits over fires allegedly caused by faulty switches. A small number of injuries have also been linked to the problem, though none were reported in the latest recall. Previous recalls included some of Ford's most popular brands, like the popular F-series of pickup trucks.

Ford began an investigation of Windstar vehicles in February 2008 after receiving a growing number of reports of fires under the vehicles' hoods, according to a letter the company sent to the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency late last week announcing the recall. In June 2008, NHTSA began its own probe of the problem.

Investigators found that the switches, made by Texas Instruments, could leak internally, overheat and potentially ignite. NHTSA also identified four reports of leaking fluid damaging the antilock brake control module, resulting in a fire. The module is charged with electrical current and can ignite the fluid in rare cases, said Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood.

Even some vehicles without cruise control are part of the recall because they still have the switches with brake fluid routed through them. To repair the problem, dealers will install a harness to help prevent the fluid from flowing anywhere it could be ignited.

Ford stopped using the Texas Instruments switch in 2003, according to Sherwood. The latest group of vehicles recalled is the last batch still on the road that had the switch installed.

Texas Instruments said in a statement that it manufactured a switch "to meet and exceed Ford's specifications" and that it is only one component of Ford's cruise control deactivation system. The company cited a 2006 NHTSA investigation that found multiple factors were to blame for fires. Texas Instruments no longer owns the division that made the switches.

NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson said Ford "is to be commended for stepping forward to resolve this issue."

The recall covers the following model years: 1995-2003 Ford Windstar; 2000-2003 Ford Excursion diesel; 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesel; 1992-2003 Ford Econoline; 1995-2002 Ford Explorer; 1995-2002 Mercury Mountaineer; 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Ford Ranger; and 1994 Ford F35 Motorhome vehicles.

 

I got this recall in the mail.... When i brought it to the dealer they were going to just disconnect my cruise so I told them to leave my truck how it is.

It it burns, thats what fire insurance is for

 

i got this recall a long time ago. dont really feel the need to go get it fixed though

 

your kind of late- the recall notices were sent back in 2007.
took ford about 10 minutes to fix the problem, they just link a fuse into the system that disables it when the engine is off

 

Hopefully mine catches on fire and burns me a little, then I'll sue ford and never work the rest of my life

 

^^ lol nice

 

I have gotten several letters from them over the past 2 years. The latest being about a month ago for this exact same problem.

I will have them fix it some day.

 

that is incorrect.

they have notified owners of more vehicles that were effected.

They put a fuse in line so that if the fluid does go into the brake sensor and short out it blows the fuse and kills the power to the switch.

 

I know this is an older thread but I have a question. Does anyone know what size fuse they put in that fuse holder that they install under the recall? Thanks, I figure someone would have opened up that installed harness by now.

Added edited info: Mine was sealed when they installed the recall fix and I do not want to open the mandated recall fix to see what fuse they installed.

 

Did you not have your truck fixed under the recall?

 

I did but they sealed the recall repair and since it is a safety issue I will not break my seal. Breaking the seal on the recall repair will make any future problem null and void. I will edit the original of my post to reflect this added information. Did you have yours fixed as referenced in the recall?

 

Yea, I'm sure the dealership would fix it since it's related to a recall issue.

 

Huh??? I asked for the fuse size in the repair harness installed during the recall fix. Do you know the size of the fuse? Does anyone know the size of the fuse? Thats all I need to know. Thank you.

 

No I don't know the fuse size, I thought you were having an issue with the cruise control again.

 

just walk into a ford service department and ask one of the techs. They should have a good number of those kicking around. Even my bronco had to get the recall done on it. This was last year and the truck was a 95

 

Uh huh, not going to happen because the nearest Ford dealership is almost 20 miles away and I am not so sure they would take any time to open a recall kit to tell me (that gives they even have one in stock, originally mine had to be ordered a few years ago). Again, can someone who knows or has opened one tell me the fuse size? Its just a question, time isn't important, just have this nagging need to know without opening the seal on mine.

 

I actually am but not because of the recall repair. Thanks!

 

To clarify, the recall repair was done on mine and I am having trouble with the circuit that disengages the CC (switch at brake master cylinder). Tested the switch, researched the 01 factory wiring manual, and am trying to get some info on the electrical characteristics to make sure I only buy one part. I saw the recall harness and something told me the size of the fuse is 20 amp. I would like to know what the size is in others harness without cutting mine open (some may have already opened theirs, I don't want to open mine and its not anything more than a bug in my a$$ on what size they actually put in there).

 

Come on guys gals! There must be someone who has taken their recall harness apart and knows what the fuse size is. TTT!

 

Is anyone out there???