Tl*the contact owns a 1993 ford escort. While the vehicle was parked in a mechanic's garage, it caught fire. The fire destroyed the vehicle, the other vehicles in the garage, and the garage itself. The fire department stated that the fire originated under the dashboard of his vehicle, possibly the ignition switch. A police and fire report were filed. The vehicle was at the shop for new brakes and tie rods. Updated 02/01/08.
1993 Ford Escort: fire, smoke or burning smell
9 of the 379 complaints about the 1993 Ford Escort describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 9
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 7 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
The fuel pump shorted while driving the vehicle. Smoke came out of the dasboard when driving, and the vehicle stalled and would not start. Later investigation by the mechanic showed the fuel pump caused an electrical short, causing the wiring to overheat because ford did not put a fuse in the power lines to the fuel pump. The fuel connections inside the gas tank were melted and could have caused an explosion. The entire wiring harnes to the fuel pump melted because of the electrical short and needs to be completly replaced. I'm appauled that there is no fuse or circuit breaker to prevent such a dangerous hazard. None of the fuses in the fuse block were blown. Tracing the wiring from the fuel pupm shows that it completely bypasses the fuse block. The fuel cut-off switch never tripped, nor does it seem to be designed to address electrical shorts to the pump. This design poses serious threats to life, as an electrical short can cause an explosion in the fuel tank. My family feels lucky to be alive. I have replaced the fuel pump, and now am trying to replace the wiring harness. This was the original fuel pump as the rust around the pump seals indicates. I'm holding on to the pump to show the melted connections which indicate a potential explosion hazard as well as the melted wiring connections/connector and wires to the pump.
I feel ford should have recall all defective cars. I feel they knew they were putting defective ignition switchs in escorts that should have been included in the recall. My car is a 1993 escort that had a faulty ignition switch, that was at a gas station when it happen to start smoking from the steering column. If it would have caught on fire like the some of the other cars, it could have been fatal. I think ford doesn't take human lives into their consideration. They only see dollar signs. I am a stylist and I see well over a 90 people a day and I will be sure to tell them not to buy a ford. It is very sad that people no longer take pride in what they do or make.
Vehicle caught on fire under hood while driving due to a faulty wiring harness.
Vehicle was placed in the park position for over 30 minutes when it caught on fire around the dash area. Vehicle was totaled. Consumer has contacted manufacturer. Please provide any further details.
The fuse for "room" burnt up repeatedly (and when it did, the radio stopped working.) my son found that smoke came out of the ignition lock bar when I put in a new fuse for "room" two days ago. My guess is that the ignition lock bar has a design defect; that smoke has always been the reason why the "room" fuse had never lasted very long. This remind me of another problem that came up two years ago, when white smoke came out from under the steering wheel after the car stay under the sun for hours. (I found that this problem was repeatable--when it got enough sunshine I always got the white smoke.) I called ford and they told me that my car was not part of their call-back. This problem might also be in that ignition lock bar.
While traveling at approximately 55 MPH, driver noticed a red glow in front of the speedometer and smoke began to fill the vehicle. Within two minutes the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames.
Vehicle was parked, electrical short, vehicle caught fire under the hood compartment, will provide more information.
Car caught fire. Tt
Service bulletins that may apply
- This aritlce is to provide information on replacement of old style hood lamp switch to the rvised...
- Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses
- Ford motor company has released a new electrical grease ( F8AZ - 19G208-AA ) to reduce the possibility of...
- Vehicles exhibiting a "squeaking" or "chirping" from the blower motor at low blower motor speeds
- Wiring - electrical diode identification and service replacements
- Vehicles may have a disconnect of the ignition control module (ICM) connector or moisture buildup within...
- Ignition lock cylinder may stck or bind when the driver tries to rotate the key
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1993 Ford Escort fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 1993 Ford Escort?
9 of 379 owner complaints about the 1993 Ford Escort (2%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 1997.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1993 Ford Escort?
There are 0 recalls and 7 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1993 Ford Escort
Seat belt 28Sudden acceleration 15Fuel leak 14Stalling 10Fuel pump 9Wipers 8Fuel smell 7Transmission failure 6Brake failure 5Coil spring 5Won't start 5
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