Daily Auto News Ford Expands Cruise Control Switch Recall
Daily Auto News
Ford’s biggest vehicle recall just got a lot bigger.
The Detroit News reports, “Ford Motor Co. agreed to expand its largest-ever recall by about 4.5 million vehicles over a faulty switch linked to hundreds of vehicle fires. The action, which comes in the face of an 18-month federal investigation, means the company has now called back more than 14 million vehicles in eight separate recalls over a 10-year period because of the problem.”
Autoblog explains, “the [cruise control] switch can leak and overheat, which can lead to smoking and, in some cases, fire.” The switch has been linked to over 500 fires and about 1,500 owner complaints. About 16 million Ford vehicles are equipped with the switch.
Kicking Tires comments, “This has been a black cloud for Ford for nearly 10 years. The automaker recalled 9.6 million vehicles between 1999 and 2008 and is still battling dozens of lawsuits over the issue.”
The expanded recall now includes the 1995 to 2003 Ford Windstar; the 2000 to 2003 Ford Excursion diesel; the 1993 to1997 and 1999 to 2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesel; the 1992 to 2003 Ford Econoline; the 1995 to 2002 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer; the 1995 to1997 and 2001 to 2003 Ford Ranger; and 1994 Ford F53 Motorhome vehicles equipped with the Texas Instruments speed control deactivation.
It’s important for owners of these and other recalled vehicles to take note. The Detroit News reports that because the recall centers on the cruise control switch, some owners have ignored it, deciding to simply not use cruise control on those vehicles. However, in some cases, it appears the leak has occurred when the vehicle wasn’t even in use. Lawsuits against Ford allege that affected vehicles have caught fire while parked in their owners’ garages, leading to house fires and even some deaths.
Ford will begin recalling the vehicles on October 26.. If you own one of the affected vehicles, you can bring it to a Ford dealer who will repair the switch free of charge. You can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration directly with questions about the recall at 1-888-327-4236. For more information on safety recalls, check out Safety Recalls: What You Need to Know.
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