ford recall expands to 10.5 million vehicles
08-04-2007, 06:49 AM
#1
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ford recall expands to 10.5 million vehicles
http://www.latimes.com/business/prin...es-pe-business
Ford Motor Co. is recalling 3.6 million vehicles, some manufactured as long as 16 years ago, in the sixth round of repairs to fix a cruise-control switch that can overheat and cause a fire.
The announcement brought the total number of vehicles recalled for the same problem to 10.5 million since 1999. The callback was needed "to address customer concerns" stemming from previous recalls involving the switch, Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford said.
The latest recall covers 16 brands of cars, sport utility vehicles and trucks from model years 1992 to 2004, Ford told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The models include the Ford Ranger, Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, Lincoln Town Car, Lincoln Mark VIII, Ford Taurus SHO, Mercury Capri, Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer, Ford Explorer Sport and Explorer Sport Trac, Ford E-150-350, Ford E-450, Ford Bronco, Ford F-150 Lightning, some models of F-Series trucks and Ford F53 Motor Home chassis.
The announcement brought the total number of vehicles recalled for the same problem to 10.5 million since 1999. The callback was needed "to address customer concerns" stemming from previous recalls involving the switch, Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford said.
The latest recall covers 16 brands of cars, sport utility vehicles and trucks from model years 1992 to 2004, Ford told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The models include the Ford Ranger, Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, Lincoln Town Car, Lincoln Mark VIII, Ford Taurus SHO, Mercury Capri, Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer, Ford Explorer Sport and Explorer Sport Trac, Ford E-150-350, Ford E-450, Ford Bronco, Ford F-150 Lightning, some models of F-Series trucks and Ford F53 Motor Home chassis.
08-04-2007, 07:55 AM
#3
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As this proves, even the smallest engineering mistakes can kill.
I've said it before, I'll say it again - someone needs to go to jail over this. Every vehicle with this part should have been recalled the moment that a problem was realized, and yet this has now been dragged out over several years, with at least one death after the first (partial, half-assed) recall was announced.
I've said it before, I'll say it again - someone needs to go to jail over this. Every vehicle with this part should have been recalled the moment that a problem was realized, and yet this has now been dragged out over several years, with at least one death after the first (partial, half-assed) recall was announced.
08-04-2007, 08:10 AM
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And they JUST turned a profit last quarter... 
I'm with Eric on this. I don't care if it's an engineer, a bean counter, or the former CEO himself... SOMEWHERE there is a document that clearly states who specified/authorized that component to be used. That individual needs to be held accountable first, THEN we need to go down the path of failures and actions and get the next person(s) involved that did not go far enough soon enough.
It's my opinion that it's OK to admit you made a mistake. Everyone does, there's no crime in that. But admit it, make it right, and move on. Don't try to cover it up or sell it short of what it is.
On the other hand, I'm also sure that there were people inside ford that knew about this and didn't want to blow the whistle given Ford's financial situation. It would be like signing your own pink slip. Doesn't make it right, but I can understand an individual's desire to keep a low profile iside Ford right now. Me personally, I couldn't stand to keep my job if I thought it meant someone was likely to get injured or die because I kept my mouth shut. And honestly, I don't want to work for acompany that would punish me for doing what was right anyways.
BTW - This was on the NBC Nightly News last night at 6:30.
Nothing about the Toyota issue though.
surprise.
I'm with Eric on this. I don't care if it's an engineer, a bean counter, or the former CEO himself... SOMEWHERE there is a document that clearly states who specified/authorized that component to be used. That individual needs to be held accountable first, THEN we need to go down the path of failures and actions and get the next person(s) involved that did not go far enough soon enough.
It's my opinion that it's OK to admit you made a mistake. Everyone does, there's no crime in that. But admit it, make it right, and move on. Don't try to cover it up or sell it short of what it is.
On the other hand, I'm also sure that there were people inside ford that knew about this and didn't want to blow the whistle given Ford's financial situation. It would be like signing your own pink slip. Doesn't make it right, but I can understand an individual's desire to keep a low profile iside Ford right now. Me personally, I couldn't stand to keep my job if I thought it meant someone was likely to get injured or die because I kept my mouth shut. And honestly, I don't want to work for acompany that would punish me for doing what was right anyways.
BTW - This was on the NBC Nightly News last night at 6:30.
Nothing about the Toyota issue though.
surprise.
08-04-2007, 08:30 AM
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Do you think that's because one is an actual ongoing massive recall and one is a potentially frivolous lawsuit? I expect the news to cover the Toyota "issue" when it's more than just the claims of a law firm known for stirring up sh*t in hopes for a settlement payout.
08-04-2007, 08:36 AM
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yea but two people died for the Toyota thing too??
Not saying this Ford thing is BAD. it is. BUt the idea is Toyota knew about this too and yet nothing.
Not saying this Ford thing is BAD. it is. BUt the idea is Toyota knew about this too and yet nothing.
Last edited by Caps94ZODG; 08-04-2007 at 08:42 AM.
08-04-2007, 08:44 AM
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"... and Toyota is not immune to problems either. Toyota has been advised of an ongoing investigation by the NHTSA for a problem with ____ that has led to 2 deaths in the last few months, but there is no recall announcement as of yet."
What would that hurt?
Is that not "reporting" as well?
Is there any crime in that?
I was raised that a partial truth is no better than a lie.
So why tell "part" of the story?
Just looking for fair billing - that's all.
08-04-2007, 10:57 AM
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I was shocked when the recalled only the 2000 MY trucks. All we did was disconnect the deactivation switch. Most customers drove around for over a year without cruise control until Ford figured out what the problem was. The updated recall for that year only was to install an inline fuse holder, as the switch was not the only problem - it was the entire circuit. Not a single tech could figure out why they only recalled that vehicle. That same switch has been used in nearly every Ford product in the last 2 decades. This current recall announced a couple days ago, STILL does not cover all the models that have this switch!
It's not like Ford hasn't known about this switch being a problem. I was replacing them under warranty left and right for brake fluid leakage concerns as far back as the 90s. Many times when you attempted to disconnect the switch it would smoke profusely. Ford required all warranty replaced parts to be returned. They received thousands of leaking, burnt switches for over a decade before this recall.
It's not like Ford hasn't known about this switch being a problem. I was replacing them under warranty left and right for brake fluid leakage concerns as far back as the 90s. Many times when you attempted to disconnect the switch it would smoke profusely. Ford required all warranty replaced parts to be returned. They received thousands of leaking, burnt switches for over a decade before this recall.
Last edited by Marc 85Z28; 08-04-2007 at 11:00 AM.
08-04-2007, 02:11 PM
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I was shocked when the recalled only the 2000 MY trucks. All we did was disconnect the deactivation switch. Most customers drove around for over a year without cruise control until Ford figured out what the problem was. The updated recall for that year only was to install an inline fuse holder, as the switch was not the only problem - it was the entire circuit. Not a single tech could figure out why they only recalled that vehicle. That same switch has been used in nearly every Ford product in the last 2 decades. This current recall announced a couple days ago, STILL does not cover all the models that have this switch!
It's not like Ford hasn't known about this switch being a problem. I was replacing them under warranty left and right for brake fluid leakage concerns as far back as the 90s. Many times when you attempted to disconnect the switch it would smoke profusely. Ford required all warranty replaced parts to be returned. They received thousands of leaking, burnt switches for over a decade before this recall.
It's not like Ford hasn't known about this switch being a problem. I was replacing them under warranty left and right for brake fluid leakage concerns as far back as the 90s. Many times when you attempted to disconnect the switch it would smoke profusely. Ford required all warranty replaced parts to be returned. They received thousands of leaking, burnt switches for over a decade before this recall.
just traded in my 02 F150 that had the cruise disconnected for the last year and a half...I was told they'd call when they had the parts to fix it, they never did
08-04-2007, 10:33 PM
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Oversight maybe? The "fix" has been out for some time. Basically all they are doing is installing an inline fuse between the switch and the connector. The switch will still eventually fail, but it won't catch on fire.
08-04-2007, 11:11 PM
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The first scenario results in some nasty logistical problems (like, say, producing several million replacement parts in a reasonable amount of time), and of course produces a day or two of nasty headlines ("Company X recalls 5 million vehicles; 10 model years affected!"). Other than some message board flamewar heroes, most people get over it pretty quickly, and getting the defective parts off the road means that the bad news doesn't linger for years. The second scenario simply stretches out the bad news over several recalls, and in the meantime people get frustrated with broken vehicles (at best), or end up hurt or killed.
I don't know which approach was used here, but I can guess.
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