Woman's 911 call: 'My garage is on fire!' (Ford Stonewalls Deadly Defect)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/29/iowa.vehicle.fire/index.html

Earl Mohlis says he has no doubt the fire that burned down his house last month, killing his wife of 34 years, started under the hood of his 1996 Ford F-150 pickup truck -- and he is suing the company, he says, to prevent more deaths.

Ford Motor Company has concluded the truck did not cause the fire.

Mohlis and his wife's three children have brought a wrongful death lawsuit against Ford, which manufactured a cruise-control deactivation switch that the lawsuit states was defective and caused the fire.

<snip>

On most of its models, Ford designed the switch to be powered -- or "hot" -- at all times, even when the vehicle is off and the key is removed from the ignition.

Inside the switch, a thin film barrier separates brake fluid from the switch's electrical components. Investigators say fires can occur when the film cracks and brake fluid from the master cylinder seeps into the electrical side of the switch.

[Placebo]

1. CNN has been pushing this story big time.

As they should be. It's utterly ridiculous that Ford still refuses to take responsibility for an obviously disastrous flaw in their products.

[Archae]

4. SOP at Ford.

Remember the "Let 'em burn" memo about the Pinto and it's gas tank?

[NorthernSpy]

21. they should name their next model the Ford Immolator

Truth in advertising.

[lawladyprof]

22. I had a Pinto that caught fire

It was an engine fire--just spontaneous-no impact or accident--but no fuel tank involvement either. Learned a lesson--just let 'em burn and declare a total loss. Don't try to repair.

[merh]

2. So if I have a late model ford pick up truck

I better disconnect that cruise control :scared:

[Tempest]

3. I'm going truck hunting this weekend

I'll be staying away from the Ford dealer.

[truthisfreedom]

5. what a weird problem.

[RebelOne]

6. That's just great. I have a Ford Taurus

with cruise control.

[lynne]

7. Ford has had "ZIPPO" problems for years -

- remember the pinto's that were flaming up in the early 1980's? On my way home from work many years ago, saw a car in flames in the road, surrounded by firetrucks. Got closer and realized it was my husband's vehicle and knew that he had picked up our toddler daughter from the sitters.

Thank God they had made it out of the car in time. Yep, it was a Ford.

[RamboLiberal]

8. Ford also has a gas tank fire problem with Crown Victoria's

similar to the problem with the Pinto's where the gas tank bursts in to flame when hit from behind. Many police departments are concerned since they use Crown Vics and since they do get rear-ended when they are pulled off on traffic stops on the side of roads. Cops have died and been horribly injured in these cars, including one Phoenix officer, Jason Schechterle, who survived horrible facial and body burns.

[rocktivity]

What a coincidence

There was a thread about this man just a few days ago:
Tabloid donates to burn group after calling injured police officer 'ugly'

The owner of the Weekly World News included Officer Jason Schechterle on a list of "top ten ugliest people" in a February issue...

:headbang:
rocknation

[northzax]

11. my god, that is the most hideous thing I have ever seen

who dyed that woman's hair? hello, you have darker roots than Alex Haley!and that style, oh mama, I got nothing good to say at all, at all.

is that a sleeveless denim shirt? really?

[Az_lefty]

9. Shit...I have two late model Ford trucks.

:mad:

[drumz4hire]

10. Here's a good site...

on this very topic

Shame on Ford :mad:

http://www.flamingfords.info/

[lateo]

12. What do we learn from this story?

Don't buy a Ford...

Duh...

[fujiyama]

13. F.O.R.D

Found On the Road Dead.

God, I'll never buy a Ford.

[newscott]

14. My dad used to swear by them.

He was always having transmission problems though.

I'm not a Ford guy.

[bballny]

19. or swear at them

[Straight Shooter]

16. Don't forget this one:

Fix Or Repair Daily :)

[wishlist]

15. actor Matthew McConaughey's truck caught fire during publicity road trip

I remember seeing an interview with him earlier this year where he talked about his road trip where he pulled a camper trailer behind a Ford pickup to promote his movie Sahara. He said that the worst moment of the trip was when fire broke out around the steering wheel while he was driving apparently due to this defect.

[earth mom]

17. Whoa-this really worries me-we've been looking for a mid 90s Ford F150

for dh and wanted to sell our cute classic but gas guzzling chevy truck. We used to have an 92 F150 and it was a great truck for us and that's why we wanted to find another one. Does anyone know if this problem can be fixed fairly easily and cheaply? TIA!

[bballny]

18. For alloldtimers

Remeber the Pinto Bomb. Get rearended and you blowup. They did lose that lawsuit.

[Dave Reynolds]

20. My '89 Bronco II

burned to the ground by itself back in 1995. No reason found, just an "electrical problem".