A decade-old problem that can lead to fires at any time, even when parked, in Ford vehicles has prompted the government to warn Ford owners to take their vehicles to a dealership immediately. Ford, however, says it will not have enough parts to make all the repairs until June. The latest recall involves 225,000 vehicles to redo the initial repair, which amounted to over 10 million cars and trucks built between 1992 and 2004 during five recalls between 2005 and 2007.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advised consumers last month and is concerned only about half the owners visited dealers, as per Automotive News. Until the parts arrive, dealers are disconnecting the cruise control switches, which can short out if brake fluid leaks in, resulting in a possible fire. Ford is saying the chances of a fire due to the cruise switch are small. Installing a fused wiring harness is the long-term fix, but the sole supplier of said harness is struggling to supply Ford with enough parts.
The NHTSA discovered the cruise control problem in 1998, after an investigation due to complaints of engine compartment fires. In 1999, Ford issued a recall to replace cruise control switches in about 279,000 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car built for the 1992 and 1993 model years.
