Cruise Control problems of the 1997 Ford F-150 - part 2

The caller parked the vehicle and one and a half hours later it burst into flames. The caller thought a report was filed by the fire department. The dealer said that the caller had insurance and not to worry about it. The manufacturer urged the caller to contact the dealer if he wanted to know what was being done. The fire damage was done to the driveway, and a tree was destroyed.

The consumer stated that the 1997 Ford f 150 caught on fire and burnt completely. The owner parked the truck at 6 pm in the garage and at 9 pm heard the horn. The owner then went to the garage to check on the truck and found the truck burning. The fire was coming from the driver's side under the hood. The owner said the fire was from the cruise control switch. Claimed that he was just seconds from losing his house. The owner had not seen anything in the tv news or news papers about the ongoing investigations with the switch. The owner had not used the cruise control that day or did not notice anything funny about how the truck was driving. A fire department report, and an insurance report were issued. Pictures were taken. The vehicle has already been moved from the fire location. The vehicle was a totaled. Loss and there was damage to the owner's house, severe smoke damage throughout the house. The insurance took care of the smoke damages. There were no injuries.

Nhtsa: this is in relation to an under hood fire in a 1997 Ford f150 pertaining to the speed control deactivation switch, brake pressure switch. On July 23, 2005 a neighbor came banging on my door yelling your truck is on fire. There was a fire coming out from under the hood where the brake master cylinder is located. The truck was parked in my drive under my carport and had been idle for approximately 2. 5 hours. I ran to get my fire extinguisher and attempted to extinguish the fire. My neighbor called the fire department and then came out with another fire extinguisher. Another neighbor grabbed his extinguisher and gave it to me and that also failed. I grabbed my hose to try to minimize the fire until the fire department arrived. I only had on shorts (no shoes). I received several burns on the bottom of my feet the hole that was melted in the hood of the truck clearly shows where the fire was located. The day before that I had went to a mechanic to have my a/c looked at. The mechanic pointed out that brake fluid was leaking onto the speed control deactivation switch. On a Ford recall web site it says the following signs could indicate that you have a problem with your cruise-control switch: cruise control is not working properly (mine recently stopped working); brake fluid leaking around the switch (exactly what the mechanic pointed out); fuses are blown near the switch, (that morning the truck would not go into gear and a mobile mechanic came out and he replaced the brake pressure switch fuse). Everything points to this problem with the speed control deactivation switch recall problem Ford is having. I contacted Ford to see if they wanted to investigate the situation and they said no and showed little to no concern.

Cruise control switch (brake pressure switch) on my 1997 Ford F-150 over heated and caught on fire after sitting for 3 hours in the parking lot at my work. No serious damage to truck. I had the truck towed to the local Ford dealer for repair. I was aware of a recall for the 2000-2001 F-150's with this problem. The dealer was very professional, however Ford also has a problem with the 1997 models and should be recalled . If this fire had not been noticed by one of my CO-workers I might have losted the truck. This costed me around $170 with towing and I feel Ford is aware they have a serious problem with this vehicle and should do the right thing for safety and at Fords expense.

On July 11,2005 jason went to work and parked his 1997 Ford F-150 pickup in the parking lot of his job rolled up all the windows and locked the doors and took the key. At apromently 9. 00am he went out for his break to find the fire department at his truck its a total loss. The only thing left is the cab of the truck.

Consumer states when she went to get into the vehicle there was smoke coming from under the hood. When shelifted the hood, it was discovered the smoke was coming from the cruise control sensor and unhooked it. At that point the vehicle stopped smoking. The vehicle had been in the driveway for approximately 45 minutes. The dealership told them it wasn't under recall although there have been reports of the same problem. The vehicle hadn't caught on fire.

There is a recall for the vehicle speed control for the 2000 Ford f150, stating it can lead to fires. Vehicle was parked in a parking lot and the ignition was off. Went out to the vehicle and there was a burning smell. Some wiring melted. Contacted Ford, they said the recall was for 2000 models. The consumer had vehicle repaired, they replaced the speed control deactivation switch. This happened on June 23, 2005. The consumer did not have any pictures of the vehicle, but did have the invoice from where the vehicle was repaired.

Truck was parked and engine was not running, consumer drove about a half hour before he discovered vehicle was on fire. Flames were coming from driver's side under hood near cab of truck. Flames were extinguished by 4 witnesses with a fire distinguisher. Fire department was not called. Mechanic on site opened hood and suspected the fire began near the master cylinder. No repairs were made since this occurred.

1997 Ford f150 caught on fire with the engine off and parked in the driveway. A neighbor alerted the consumer that there was a fire at about 2:45 am. The neighbor said that there was a sound like a shotgun blast. The fire was coming from the driver's side wheel well. The fire department came because the fire spread to the consumer's house and the neighbor's house. The vehicle was a totaled. It burned all the way back to the tool box. There was excessive damage. Fire department suggested it may have been the cruise control switch. The consumer sustained smoke inhalation, and went to the hospital. The consumer e-mailed Ford and asked for someone to contact him, and no one did. There was an ongoing insurance claim. There was massive property damage as a result of the fire.

Vehicle fire involving the speed control disconnect switch ((cruise control defect)) on this 1997 Ford f150. Limitted burn in engine compartment. Vehicle is in very good condition, and this fire pattern/evidence is a prime example of the failure of this vehicle component. Salvage is presently preserved for inspection.

The vehicle parked for 5 hours, observed flames on driver's side of hood, it was completely engulfed. The cruise control quit working one year prior.

The contact owns a 1997 Ford f150. The vehicle caught on fire from the speed control deactivation switch.

I purchased a 1997 f150 on Friday April 22, 2005. Truck was seemingly in excellent condition. I drove the f150 truck to work around 40 miles on Tuesday April 26, 2005, parked and went inside. About 2 hourrs later I saw smoke from the engine compartment. We opened the hood, and found that a fire had erupted on/near the brake system/brake booster. We put out the fire within about 1 minute from seeing the smoke. The damage was contained to the driver?s side engine compartment, including; brake fluid reservoir/booster, power distribution box/fuse box, wiring along firewall, hood and paint, windshield, wiper motor/wiper, vent between hood and windshield, dash, inner driver?s side fender. Insurance company was notified, outcome pending.

Abs light came on as we were pulling up to our back garage door. We opened the hood of the truck to check the brake fluid level. That area of the engine was on fire! we were able to quickly put out the fire. We had the vehicle towed to the repair shop. They replaced all the parts that were burnt (unfortunately we did not think to keep the old parts). As a side note, the technician working on the vehicle mentioned that Ford has a recall out for 2000 and newer vehicles for the cruise control switch - which they have determined is the cause of fires in these models. He said the cause of the fire in our vehicle was the cruise control switch, the very same part that Ford has the recall for. The cruise control switch the repair shop used to replace the burnt up one was obtained from Ford and is the very same part they are using in their recall. Unfortunately, our vehicle is a 1997 Ford f150 and therefore does not falling within the recall.

While watching cnn news August 16 2005, a report was on what should have been a recall of Ford vehicles that have a faulty cruise control switch. I was parked and had been sitting for approximately thirty minutes when I noticed smoke coming from under the hood. At that point, I opened the hood and saw where the smoke was coming from, then grabbed the wiring way above the heat source and started pulling the wires until they broke loose. The wiring was attached to a switch at the end of my brake cylinder, it was the cruise control for the vehicle. The vehicle would not crank and I could not remove it from park, I had to call for help. A day or so later, I saw a report on cnn news about the problem for this switch and Ford was not doing anything about it. It would have been good ,if Ford would have notified me of this problem. I had driven my mom to visit someone in a nursing home, otherwise my truck would have been on my carport. Is there more hidden problems that Ford is hiding that could, or would, have destroyed my house by fire if I had not been in the vehicle at the time? is it safe to park in my garage now? I asked cherokee Ford in wookstock, georgia if they knew of a recall on this since it was on the news, and they said some vehicles were, but not mine, and to keep watching the news and if, (big word)Ford did have a recall, come back and they could reimburse for the part only, since my repairs were complete.

Vehicle was parked for 2 days. The horn started blowing, and consumer's wife looked out the window and saw fire coming from the center of the hood. Put water on vehicle from hose, but was not enough to stop fire. Called 911. By the time the fire company came vehicle was consumed by fire. Also, the house almost caught on fire. Cruise control quit working about 1 or 2 months before the fire. There were no other problems. Checked the fuses, and they were fine. One evening, before the fire would not come out of park. Found the brake light switch at the pedal was defective. Replaced that switch. Then, found a brake light bulb out. Replaced that bulb, and vehicle came out of park. About a week later the right turn signal blinked real fast, again the bulb was replaced. This trouble with the turn signal was intermittent. Rear glass leaked, and door panels were cracked on both sides. Geico insurance sent an adjuster to take pictures. Owner felt cruise control caused the fire.

Vehicle was parked for over an hour and a neighbor bought the fire to consumer's attention. Fire was coming from under the hood on drivers side.

The truck caught on fire and burned to the ground while parked on the street. This occurred 15 hours after the vehicle was serviced by an independent repair facility for a cruise control failure. The fire department extinguished the fire, but couldn't determined the cause of it, just that the fire started in the engine compartment. The vehicle was not running and or warm when the fire occurred.

After sitting unused for 2 days, the cruise controll switch caught on fire. It was put out quickly after disconnecting the battery and putting soda on the switch. I had the truck towed to a Ford dealer who said it was not listed on the recall, and I would have to pay. I decided to take it to my normal repair shop for correction. It was corrected with a new switch. I belive I should be reimbursed for entire cost.

Parked vehicle at 7:40 am and 10 minutes later a witness saw smoke and flames coming from the vehicle near the driver's side wheel well. No problems with vehicle prior to the fire. Had not used the cruise control in a very long time. The turn signals would sometimes click very fast, indicating a bulb was out, but no bulbs were defective. This had been going on for a year or more. A new engine was installed about 1 year ago. No after market equipment. Vehicle was insured, but a claim was not made due to minor damage. Mechanic, who repaired vehicle, indicated that speed control deactivation switch caused the fire.

While parked in a public parking lot the vehicle caught fire without warning. The consumer states two days prior the cruise control had malfunctioned and the dealer stated that the part was unavailable. Please provide additional information.

05v017000/Ford cruise control deactivation switch. The vehicle was parked for over 9 hours. The next morning there were flames coming from under the hood in front of the driver seat. The owner contacted the fire department and had the fire extinguished. Owner also contacted the Ford manufacturer who told the owner that this vehicle was not included in the current recall. Provide further details.

Parked the vehicle at 10:00 and at 10:30 the alarm sounded. Went to look at vehicle and saw fire under the hood on the driver's side. . Read more...

Cruise control has been disconnected because it quit working, and because of its potential to start fire. Cruise was working fine when I consumer bought the truck.

Vehicle was parked in front of the residence for 3 1/2 hours. Owner discovered that the vehicle was on fire. The flames were coming out from the center of the hood. The fire department was notified and extinguished the flames.

While vehicle was parked a fire started under the hood. The fire was put out. The dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. The vehicle was off for 2-3 hours before the fire started.

The consumer activated the cruise control and with out warning the vehicle suddenly accelerated uncontrollably. The consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle by turning the cruise control off. Afterwards the incident happened repeatedly. The consumer tried to reset the cruise control, however the problem still continued. The consumer drove to the dealer for an inspection. The mechanic could not duplicate the problem. Please provide additional information. Jb.

After being parked 45 min. My 97 Ford F-150 was seen by a friend to be on fire. The fire was extinguished. It is very evident that the cruise control deactivation switch (the same one used on 2000 and 2001 models that Ford is voluntarilty recalling) was the culprit. The truck was extinguished relatively quick and it is very easy to see where the fire started. The cruise control had quit working prior to this fire and the truck was sometimes difficult to get out of park. Vehicle was insured. But not reported. Photos will be sent to bruce york.

1997 f150 caught on fire. Eight months after the consumer's vehicle caught on fire he received a recall on the cruise control deactivation switch (05s28) which indicated that eh deactivation switch could overheat and result in a fire. The consumer submitted pictures to the manufacturer and had the vehicle inspected at the dealer. The manufacturer refused to provide and financial assistance stating that the truck was too badly damaged to determine what actually started the fire.

Vehicle was parked in front. Ten minutes later,the truck caught on fire. Driver called the fire department to extinguish the fire. Vehicle was towed by the insurance company. The insurance adjuster informed the driver that the cruise control switch started the fire inside of the truck.

While vehicle was parked a fire started in the steering column. Dealership will be notified.

Vehicle was parked in the garage, consumer came out to get into the vehicle, and saw smoke, and fire coming from under the hood. Consumer contacted the dealer.

My 1997 Ford f150 caught fire in my driveway 15 minutes after the engine was turned off. I drove home (approximately 10 miles) the morning of January 1, 2005 and parked in my driveway. After 15 minutes my truck security alarm sounded and I went outside to investigate. Flames were coming out from underneath the hood of the truck mainly on the driver's side. I called the fire department and they put the fire out. My mechanic, george watson, inspected the truck and declared it a total loss. I feel the fire could have been caused by the cruise control switch that Ford has identified as a hazard in the 2000 f150 models.

While parked, the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department stated that the fire started in the wiring of the cruise control.

While being parked vehicle caught on fire. When vehicle was inspected it was determined to be due to the cruise control.