Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | ||||||
| EA10003 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 04/13/2010 | 03/05/2012 | HVAC Switch Failures | ||
| This investigation was opened based on one complaint and reports from four transportation fleets alleging 182 blower motor control switch failures.odi was concerned that these melting and burning switches could lead to an open flame that could spread throughout the vehicle.after a comprehensive review of all data related to overheating blower motor control switches in the subject vehicles, odi did not identify the existence of a safety defect trend.odi reviewed 1,036 complaints, claims, and field reports of failed blower motor control switches and determined that only two fires were likely to have been caused by a failing subject blower motor control switch.this represents a failure rate of 0.2 r/100k on a population of 1,076,975 vehicles that have been in service for up to 14 years.odi has found that when the subject switches do fail and begin to melt, they are constructed in a manner that typically prevents the failing switch from igniting and developing into an open flame.ford motor company has agreed to take two actions to further reduce the likelihood an overheated blower motor switch in the subject vehicles.ford informed odi that it has implemented a series of design changes to the subject switch that will help prevent it from developing internal high resistance short circuits.ford has also informed odi that it would release a technical service bulletin (tsb-11-11-21) instructing subject vehicle owners to replace the electrical connector at the same time a failed switch is replaced.in light of the low rate of failure resulting in open flame and fire spread on the subject vehicles, and ford's actions to reduce the likelihood of a switch failure through switch design changes and a tsb, further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.the odi complaints cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following (odi) numbers: 10427875, 10114393, 10257890for additional information, see the attached closing report. | ||||||
| EA10003 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 04/13/2010 | HVAC Switch Failures | |||
| Odi has received 1 complaint and reports from 4 transportation fleets alleging 182 switch failures.each fleet operates mini buses built on a ford e350 or e450 cutaway chassis.the oem hvac blower switches have melted, smoked, burned or experienced open flame and become inoperable on vehicles in each fleet.some drivers have reported a burning smell or smoke coming from the dash.one fleet reported a vehicle fire.no injuries were sustained.however, the bus was carrying special needs children when the driver noticed smoke coming from the dash.the driver was able to evacuate the children prior to the vehicle becoming engulfed in flames.the 55 fires referred to in the manufacturers column is based on the early warning reporting definition of fire, which is as follows: fire means combustion or burning of material in or from a vehicle as evidenced by flame. the term also includes, but is not limited to, thermal events and fire-related phenomena such as smoke and melt, but does not include events and phenomena associated with a normally functioning vehicle such as combustion of fuel within an engine or exhaust from an engine.this engineering analysis (ea) has been opened to determine if the blower motor switch failures create a situation where a vehicle fire is possible and presents a safety risk to the driver and other passengers. | ||||||
| PE09055 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 12/07/2009 | 04/21/2010 | HVAC Switch Failures | ||
| Odi has received 1 complaint and reports from 4 transportation fleets alleging 182 switch failures.each fleet operates mini buses built on a ford e350 or e450 cutaway chassis.the oem hvac blower switches have melted, smoked, burned or experienced open flame and become inoperable on vehicles in each fleet.some drivers have reported a burning smell or smoke coming from the dash.one fleet reported a vehicle fire.no injuries were sustained.however, the bus was carrying special needs children when the driver noticed smoke coming from the dash.the driver was able to evacuate the children prior to the vehicle becoming engulfed in flames.this pe has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea) to determine if the blower motor switch failures create a situation where a vehicle fire is possible and presents a safety risk to the driver and other passengers. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 01/16/2013 | 150000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 ford e-350. the contact stated that the turn signals and hazard lights would not illuminate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician advised the contact that the turn signal switch would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000. kmj | |||
| 01/16/2013 | 150000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 ford e-350. while parked the contact noticed the turn signals and hazard lights would not illuminate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated the turn signal switch would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000. da | |||
| 11/09/2010 | |||
| Spark plug ejected 2002 ford van | |||