Vehicle Safety News

The New York Times, "A Wider Inquiry on Fires in Ford Trucks"

As Ford Motor faces numerous lawsuits and tries to determine why hundreds of its trucks have burst into flames, federal authorities have widened their investigation into whether a faulty cruise control switch is causing the fires. The families of two people killed in fires that the families say erupted from the trucks have sued Ford, and a third family is expected to file a wrongful-death suit next week. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also stepped up pressure on Ford, expanding its investigation to include more than 3.7 million Lincoln Navigators, Ford Expeditions and F-150 pickup trucks, the nation's best-selling vehicle.

The investigation centers on a switch in the trucks that disables the cruise control when the driver steps on the brake pedal. The safety administration is investigating the possibility that flammable hydraulic fluid is somehow leaking into the electrical component of the switch and sparking the fires. The agency has received reports of 512 fires across the country that may be tied to the switches. Lawyers representing the families of three people who died in fires linked to the trucks say the switches are to blame. In addition, property damage lawsuits have been filed in several states where houses have burned to the ground, with residents blaming truck fires in adjacent garages. However, questions remain about exactly how the fires erupt.