Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
07V336000FORD MOTOR COMPANYfrom 11/05/1991 to 02/28/1998V (Vehicle)360000008/13/2007ODIFORD MOTOR COMPANY08/03/200708/03/2007
Defect SummaryOn certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Consequence SummaryThis could result in an underhood fire.
Corrective SummaryDealers will install a fused wiring harness. owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. as soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. the recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
NotesFord recall no. 05s28.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration;s vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
984603/02/1998601265Some vehicles may stall when decelerating or when turning with no diagnostic trouble codes ( dtcs) stored in continuous memory. *yc07/15/1998
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL
520312/01/1998615335Some vehicles may exhibit a hard start / long crank, cold start stall, cold rough idle concern. *tt01/13/2001

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - LINKAGES
DP02007FORD MOTOR COMPANY08/22/200212/04/2002FUEL-FED FIRES
 The fars data shows that the risk of fire from impact in all directions in the subject vehicles is the same as all other sedans.the subject vehicles are not over represented with respect to the risk of fire in real-world high-energy crashes.a further discussion of issues related to post crash fires in the subject vehicles is set out in the closing report for sq 01-014 and that report is in the docket for this petition.after reviewing the petition and its supporting materials, as well as information furnished by ford and gm, and information within the agency's possession from previous investigations and other related actions,nhtsa has concluded that futher investigation concerning post-crash fires in the subject vehicles is not likely to lead to a decision that the vehicles contain a safety defect.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
09/21/2011
 The oil pan rusted through and caused all the oil to leak out onto the ground. the cruse control computer keeps causing the car to take off or not even work at all when u set it, when the car takes off after setting it the gas peddle goes all the way to the floor and it will not deactivate unless you shut the car off while driving.
08/23/2011139000
 The car was sitting in the driveway unattended with no key in the ignition when the fire started. it had been driven about 3 hours before with no problems. the fire inspector said the fire started under the hood on the left side but he was unable to say exactly what caused the fire. after checking on line it was discovered the car was on a recall list for the speed control switch which is located on the left side.
08/24/2010106586
 Our 1997 lincoln town car that was part of the deactivation switch recall began honking as the alarm triggered on the evening of august 24, 2010 in our garage. after clearing the alarm several times, i investigated the battery voltage and all was well. the alarm triggered again and i cleared it. as i closed the hood smoke began to escape near the rear drivers side corner of the hood. i opened the hood as the smoke slowed down. the connector to the deactivation switch was very warm and the switch had brake fluid on it. the recall installed 20 amp fuse had not opened. upon investigation i found that the fuse in the recall installed harness was in the circuit between the switch and the cruise control instead of between the battery and the switch. hence the fuse provided no protection against the potential fire. thankfully i was standing there when it happened and could disconnect the cable from the switch. otherwise we were at risk of fire that could have spread to our house.
11/01/20071
 1997 lincoln town car- cruise control defect causing engine fires. after first hearing of the recall i took my lincoln to suburban ford of waterford,mi. i was told they had not yet received the replacement parts yet, 2 weeks later i again went back and was told the very same thing. i waited another 2 weeks, went back to suburban ford and was told this time that the replacement parts for the recall were being recalled and i would again have to come back. i feel this ford dealer just does not want to comply with the recall. it has now been about 9 months since the first visit and still my car has not been fixed. can you help? *tr
10/26/20071001
 Approximately 1 year ago i received a letter pertaining to the recall of my lincoln # concerning the speed control deactivation switch ( scds) upon receiving the letter i immediately contacted cooper ford in clinton s.c to schedule the repair, i was told by katie , a service manager they would put me on the list this was the last quarter of last year oct nov time frame. upon not hearing anything from the dealership in mar 08 i called again, a service manager brian, told me i was still on the list. i have not been contacted by the dealership since. *tr
01/01/19011
 1997 lincoln town car with speed control recall. consumer states that the dealer failed to mention that they did not have the parts for the repair and he left the vehicle there all day. when he came to pick it they informed him about the parts. *kb
03/05/20080102/19/2000
 Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lincoln town car. the vehicle speed control recall notice stated that parts are now available to perform the necessary repairs to your vehicle. on 3/14/08 and 3/17/08 the dealer stated that they have no idea when the parts will be available. the dealer did not disconnect the vehicle speed control switch. there are no failures at this time. the current mileage was 59,000. rk updated04/03/08. *lj
03/06/20080
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received a safety recall notice in august of 2007 for the vehicle speed control. the dealer disconnected the vehicle speed control switch. in march of 2008, he received a letter stating that the parts were available. when he took his vehicle to the dealer for repair, the contact was informed that the parts were only coming in five at a time per week, and the vehicles would be serviced on a first come, first serve basis. he was informed to call each monday morning to find out if they have the parts. there had been no failure to date. the recall number and purchase date were unknown. the current mileage was 92,000.
08/01/2007135000108/03/1997
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact stated that not having the cruise control feature is causing his gas mileage to reduce. the feature was disconnected as a result of the vehicle speed control recall. there had been no failure to date. the recall number was unavailable. the current mileage was 140,000. updated 03/26/08. *lj
08/01/20071
 Failure to repair or replace cruise control as per recall. first it was to be done by the end of dec 07, been back to ford dealer three times and still no progress as to when it will be repaired. what is the problem?? *tr
09/06/200773000210/15/1997
 Ford recall #05s28 on our 1997 lincoln town car executive was issued over 5 months ago. we complied with the request to have the speed control modified, and was told we would be notified when parts were available. we have checked several times and still they are not in stock. this is totally unacceptable as a response from a reputable us manufacturer. ford seems to be dragging their feet on this safety issue [is this a reason buyers are reluctant to buy and own us made products] ???. we are fast losing faith in the quality and concern displayed by ford. *tr
01/01/19011
 1997 lincoln town car with recall parts not available. consumer states that the parts are still not available for the repair and the recall was received 5 months ago. he states there is a fire risk for this recall. *kb vehicle speed control recall # 07v336000. *jb
08/15/20071
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received a ford recall notice for the vehicle speed control. the speed control was disconnected in september of 2007. he called ford five or six times and they placed him on hold and never returned. there had been no failure to date. the purchase date and recall number were unknown. the current mileage was 142,300. updated 03-04-08 *bf
01/28/2008105/13/2000
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received a recall notice for the vehicle speed control. he had the cruise control disabled in august of 2007 and was informed that the parts would be available at the end of 2007. he was then informed that none of the repairs would be performed until all of the dealers receive the parts. there had been no failure to date. the recall number was unknown. the current mileage was 120,000. updated 02/14/08. *lj the consumer stated the recall number for his vehicle is 05s28. updated 02/14/08 *tr
08/15/2007009/09/1997
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received a safety recall notice in august of 2007 for the vehicle speed control. as of january 2008, ford does not know when the part will be available. there had been no failure to date. the recall number was unknown. the current mileage was 62,300.
01/01/19011
 1997 lincoln town car with speed control recall. consumer states that the dealer told him that the parts will probably not be available until april of 2008. *kb
08/15/20070
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received a ford safety recall notice for the vehicle speed control in august of 2007. the contact had the switch disconnected at that time. he has been informed every month thereafter that the part would be available the following month. there had been no failure to date. the purchase date and recall number were unknown. the current mileage was 106,000.
01/01/19011
 1997 lincoln town car with multiple safety issues. speed control switch was deactivated and brake lights failed due to bad brake switch. incidentally, when the brake switch went bad, the consumer was unable to put the vehicle in gear. all interior lights failed to work properly. *kb the consumer stated she has not been able to use the cruise control since it was disconnected by the dealership in september 2007. the dealer informed the consumer, they may never get the parts for the cruise control. the consumer stated she has not been able to use the high beams for over 4 years. if she used them for a couple minutes, all of the lights on the dash and in the vehicle would go out. *jb
08/15/2007007/20/1998
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received a safety recall notice in august of 2007 for the vehicle speed control. he spoke with the dealer and ford motor company in january of 2008 and they could not inform him when the part would be available. there had been no failure to date. the purchase date and recall number were unknown. the current mileage was 94,644. updated 3/4/08 *cn
08/15/2007114957103/22/1997
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. he received a safety recall notification in september 2007 for the vehicle speed control (nhtsa campaign id #07v336000). the dealer disconnected the vehicle speed control in august of 2007 and stated that the part would be available in october. as of january 2, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the current mileage was 114,957 and there had been no failure to date. updated 01/29/08 *bf the consumer stated still waiting to have vehicle recall performed. updated 01/29/08 *tr
12/20/20071
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control). the deactivation switch was disconnected because the part was unavailable. the contact was displeased about not being able to use the cruise control for an extended period of time. there had been no failure to date. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 107,000. updated 01/17/08. *lj updated *jb
12/13/20071
 (recall 05s28: speed control) called dealer after notification (august 2007) was told their was no parts. wait until december 2007. called dealer12/13/07 no parts available .i was referred to fords 800 392 ford was told to wait until march 2008. this is crazy why are we left behind. i was told their was not one to be had. please do not disregard this message if this is not the correct place to report please send link or address. i think ford needs to keep its promises as stated in there notice although i original thought the parts will become available in the 4th quarter of 2007 was outrageous as stated in the notice. *tr
09/04/2007103/01/2001
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. he received a recall notice for the vehicle speed control (nhtsa campaign 07v336000) in september 2007. the dealer disconnected the vehicle speed control and stated that the parts would be available in the fourth quarter. the manufacturer could not provide a date when the part would be available. as of december 5, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the current mileage was 100,000 and there had been no failure to date. updated 01-10-08. *kb updated 12/31/07. *jb
08/01/2007002/21/2001
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received a safety recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control) in august of 2007. he had the switch disconnected and was informed that the part would be available in november. when november arrived, the contact was informed that the part would be unavailable until march of 2008. there had been no failure to date. the current mileage was 130,000.
06/07/2007138000108/11/1997
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact stated that the vehicle speed control deactivation switch is attached to the reservoir for the brake fluid. the brake fluid leaks down the cable into the fuse box and causes the overdrive and speed control to fail. the vehicle is currently at the dealer for repair. the current and failure mileages were 138,000.
06/01/200580000209/01/2000
 Dt*: the contact stated while braking the vehicle accelerated without warning. this incident resulted in accidents on two separate occasions. one accident occurred in june of 2005 while in traffic. the other accident occurred in august of 2006 resulting in the vehilcle driving through the garage. a police report was taken at the scene of the first incident. the service dealer could not determine the cause of the problem. during each accident the air bags did not deploy. there was also no air bag light illuminated prior to each incident.*ak
06/01/1997
 Consumer's wife turned ignition to on, put vehicle into gear, and vehicle suddenly accelerated into garage, causing property damage, and physical damage to her husband. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak
10/02/2000110/01/1997
 While pulling into a parking space, vehicle suddenly accelerated and hit a building, causing both air bags to deploy. no body injury or property damages reported. dealer / manufacturer notified. *ak
06/21/20001
 Vehicle experienced sudden acceleration resulting in a collision with fence. *mjs
05/25/2000210/01/1997
 Possible throttle sticking while depressing the accelerator caused the vehicle to stumble while consumer attempted to pass another vehicle on the highway. nlm
11/01/199803/11/1998
 Cruise control failed. yh
01/14/1998110/01/1996
 Sudden acceleration due to failure of the tps sensor.
11/30/1997405/03/1997
 When taking off, engine will completely shut out, has to restart. dealer resetting computer. *ak consumer states engine now lunges forward when coming to a stop. bad odor coming from air conditioner, happens more often in hot weather. *slc
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL
08/27/2007010/28/1997
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received a ford recall notice for the vehicle speed control: cruise control in august of 2007. the dealer stated that the parts were unavailable. the cruise control was not disconnected because he was not informed of that option. the manufacturer stated that the ford recall parts would not be available until june of 2008. the contact filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. there had been no failure to date. the recall number was unknown. the current mileage was 114,791.
03/10/200872014109/04/1997
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact had the vehicle repaired under the recall for the vehicle speed control. upon leaving the dealer, she attempted to activate the cruise control, but was unsuccessful. she returned to the dealer and they stated that the cruise control motor burned out and a new one was needed at the cost of $300. initially, the dealer stated that they would pay half; however, the manufacturer refused because the vehicle was out of warranty. the recall number was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 72,014.
08/08/2007011/22/1997
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received a ford recall notice for the vehicle speed control: cruise control in august of 2007. he immediately scheduled an appointment to have the vehicle repaired. the dealer stated that they did not know when the parts would be available and did not advise the contact to have the component disconnected. he received a second notice in february of 2008 stating that the parts were available. the notice stated that the vehicle could catch fire while idling. the parts were not available until march of 2008. he is currently in the process of having the recall repaired. there had been no failure to date. the powertrain and recall number were unknown. the current mileage was 70,000.
06/10/2007002/18/2007
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact stated that ford has failed to provide a timely recall repair on his vehicle regarding the vehicle speed control: cruise control. the first recall notice was received in june of 2007. there had been no failure to date. the recall number was unknown. the current mileage was 130,000.
08/20/2007101/18/2004
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received recall notice number 05s28 for the vehicle speed control: cruise control in august of 2007. the parts for the recall repair are still unavailable as of january 28, 2008. there had been no failure to date. the recall number was unknown. the current mileage was 97,000. updated 02-14-08 *bf updated 02/14/08 *tr
08/20/2007108/15/1999
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the contact received a recall notice for the vehicle speed control: cruise control switch in august of 2007 and he immediately scheduled an appointment to have the vehicle repaired. the dealer disconnected the switch and informed him that the parts would be unavailable until december of 2007. he called back and the dealer stated that they did not know when the parts would be available. the contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer. there had been no failure to date. the recall number was unknown. the current mileage was 169,000. updated 3/5/08 *cn updated 03/05/08 *tr
11/13/2007119000101/01/2003
 Tl*the contact owns a 1997 lincoln town car. the vehicle caught fire under the hood while parked. the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. a police report was filed. both the inside and outside of the contact's home was damaged. he received a recall letter from the manufacturer approximately 2 months prior to the fire. at that time, he called the dealer and they stated that they did not have any parts available. the powertrain and recall number were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 119,000.
02/26/2005106120909/10/2004
 Failure of cruise control to kick down after reaching desired speed and to kick back in when going below desired speed. also if cruise control is not turned off before turning engine off it will continue to draw current and run battery down. this has not caused any accidents yet but has caused two close calls. i stopped using the cruise control until it is fixed.
06/20/2005
 Reported on tv show, 60 minutes on 19 june 2005 that there is a defective switch on the cruise control of certain vehicles, including my 1997 lincoln town car that causes spontaneous combustion to ignite a vehicle fire even when the vehicle is not in operation. the next day i reported this to my local dealer, williamsburg ford-lincoln-mercury, and was told that they could replace the switch only with the same kind in spite of the fact that the tv show stated that a subsitute switch is avaialble, because there is no recall. i offered to pay for a different switch.
01/14/1998210/01/1996
 Sudden acceleration due to failure of the idle speed control unit/motor.