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Letter to the editor

Ford's recall doesn't surprise firefighters

Local officials have seen the damage the faulty switches can do.

By TOM ZUCCO, Times Staff Writer
Published August 9, 2007

Campbell instantly made a connection.

In January, 2005, Ford Motor Co. had begun a recall of nearly 6-million cars, trucks, SUVs and vans because of engine fires linked to faulty cruise-control switches.

Ford expanded that recall Friday, when the automaker said 3.6-million vehicles need to be checked to address the same cruise-control problem. The recall covers more than a dozen Ford models built from 1992 to 2004 (see list at right).

That Ford issued a second recall was no surprise to Campbell. Because the number of fires has been mounting.

"It's a staggering number now," Campbell said Tuesday, referring to Ford vehicle fires his office has investigated. "It probably averages about one a week in Pasco County."

Although both Pasco and Hillsborough County officials suspect the defective switches were a cause of many of the fires, they acknowledge there may have been other factors for some of the incidents. Campbell said he doesn't recall any injuries related to the spontaneous fires, "but there's been a lot of property damage to garages and houses."

Ford spokesman Dan Jarvis would not say how many auto fires were believed to be linked to the defective part. There were a "higher than normal" number of fires before the 2005 recall, he said.

Like Campbell, Hillsborough County fire investigator Dave Tucker sees a rising number of incidents in recent months.

"This has been a long-standing problem," Tucker said Tuesday.

The part causing concern, Tucker said, is a speed deactivation switch that disengages the cruise control. The switch stays energized as long as the battery is charged, and if brake fluid or oil comes into contact with the switch, it can ignite. "A vehicle could be stored for months," Tucker said, "and still be susceptible."

The resulting fire can be intense. Tucker has seen fires that burned a hole through the metal over the engine "the size of a basketball".

Recalls can only do so much, Tucker said, because many of the cars and trucks involved in the recall have been resold, sometimes several times, making the current owner hard to locate. And news reports can go unnoticed.

But Tucker believes Ford could have acted more quickly.

"The recalls," he said, "are way behind the curve of actual fires."

Jarvis disputes that, saying Ford has acted promptly. He also pointed out that there have been no deaths, injuries or accidents associated with the recalls.

"We have seen some underhood fires because of a cruise control deactivation switch made by Texas Instruments," Jarvis said.

When fires happen, Jarvis said, they underscore why people who receive a recall letter or suspect a vehicle problem should at least check into it.

"Historically, when we do safety recalls," Jarvis said, "about half the owners don't take their vehicles in for service even though it's free and usually takes less time than an oil change."

Tom Zucco can be reached at zucco@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8247.

[Last modified August 8, 2007, 23:04:29]