The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating more than 3.7 million Ford pickups and SUVs because of a serious defect and potential safety risk in the cruise control switch. The probe includes Ford F-150 pickup trucks from the model years 1995 through 1999 and 2001-2002 model years, and the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator models from the 1997-1999 and 2001-2002 model years.
Since May of 1999, the Ford Motor Co. has recalled a total of 1,071,000 vehicles in two different vehicle recalls. Ford is reportedly aware, however, that it installed approximately 16 million of the cruise control switches between 1992 and 2003. The switches were used in the Mark VII/VIII from 1994-1998, in the Taurus and Sable and Taurus SHO 2.3 L between 1993 and 1995, in the Econoline between 1992 and 2003, in the F-Series from 1993-2003, in the Ford Winstar from1994 through 2003, in the Ford Explorer without IVD between 1995 and 2003, in the Explorer Sport/Sport Trac from 2002-2003, in the Ford Expedition from1997 until 2003 and in the Ford Ranger from 1995 until 2003. This means that roughly only 6% of the cruise control switches that were put into vehicles have been recalled.
The cruise control switch has already being linked to approximately 560 spontaneous fires which were reported to the NHTSA. The fires can even occur when the ignition switch is off and the key has been removed which makes the problem just that much more frightening. Ford designed the cruise control switch to remain on at all times and when a crack develops in the specialized film that sits in between the brake fluid and the electrical circuit the leak ignites a fire.
In one instance, the family of an Iowa woman who was killed in a house fire is suing Ford, claiming that this very issue started a fire in the family's F-150 pickup truck which was in their garage. Although the truck was off and the key had been removed, the cruise control switch still managed to start a fire in the vehicle which spread throughout the garage and then subsequently spread to the house, killing an innocent woman.
As of October of 2005, federal investigators wanted to know more about the defective cruise control switch as the problem presented itself in vehicles in which it had not yet been identified. Although Ford had already recalled the entire 2000 model line of those Ford trucks and SUVs to replace the switch, the problem has yet to be resolved. Ford claims to be working closely with the NHTSA to identify the root of the problem and to resolve it as quickly as possible. Ford has been plagued with problems in their vehicles from the Ford Explorer’s tendency to rollover to this problem with its cruise control switches.
If you or someone you love has been injured by the Ford cruise control switch, you should contact a product liability attorney as soon as possible. This kind of product defect is inexcusable and if you have been injured or hurt because of it, you deserve compensation.