1997 Ford Explorer Sport: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Jul 18, 2011 · Seats · 175,000 miles · PA · fire

1997 ford explorer and began to back out of my parents driveway on the way to work. I used the electrical seat mover button to move my seat back a few inches and within only 10 seconds smoke was in my face. I jumped out of the car, turned the car off, and ran in my house. I got water to try and extinguish the smoke and opened my back door and looked under the seat and there was intense sparking which turned into flames and within minutes my entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. Fire and police came and extinguished it after flames reached about 20 feet. There was property damage, with along losing the entire vehicle (engine was somehow in fine shape), but luckily, it happened when I was in my driveway and not on the highway as I am alive. I sent ford 40 pictures, police report, video of the incident that we caught, title of vehicle, etc. It has caused me an incredible inconvenience in my life, I now walk a mile to a subway station which takes me to a train station which then gets me to work. Knowing it was an older car, but a popular one at that, I figured that ford would reimburse me with a used car and the property damage, especially given how lucky that no death or injuries resulted. They informed today they wouldn't give me a dime because they don't deem that a defect through their analysis (though the car sits like a toxic wasteland in my driveway with no one from ford even inspecting it). They came to their decision within one day of having my materials.

Filed Apr 24, 2009 · Fuel system · 95,000 miles · IA · fire

Tl*- the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer sport. While traveling 30 MPH she smelled something burning in the vehicle. She then saw a bit of smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. She pulled the vehicle over and a person came up to the vehicle and advised her to get out of the vehicle because the vehicle was on fire. Another person approached the scene with a fire extinguisher, but by this time the flames coming out from under the hood. They used up the entire fire extinguisher, but could not put the fire out. The tires exploded and all of the windows blew out. The fire department came, they tried to put out the fire, but there wasn't enough water pressure by the time the second fire truck came out the fire was very close to the gasoline tank. Luckily they were able to put the fire out before it got to the gas tank, but the thing that is left of the vehicle is the metal frame. She has not yet called ford, but believes this is a manufacturing defect. There were no injuries sustained. The damages were so severe they were unable to tell what caused the fire. All she knew was that the fire started underneath the hood of the vehicle on the driver side. The vehicle had been very well maintained and she doesn't know what triggered the fire. She never received any sort of recall notice. The current and failure mileage was 95,000. Updated 5/18/09 *cn according to the fire inspector, a fuel to the left side of the engine from return hose was the cause of the fire. Updated 05/20/09

Filed Nov 2, 2007 · Engine · CA · fire

Driving along everything is fine, lose power pull off the side of the road and the vehicle I see black smoke and then flames, couldn't get out because of power windows and locks. Went to the back of the vehicle and kicked my way out and the vehicle was engulfed in flames in minutes and burned to the ground.

Filed Aug 4, 2006 · Electrical · 100,000 miles · NY · fire

I owned a 1997 ford explorer. On july 29, 2005 my truck was in my yard and caught on fire. I was not home at the time. My insurance paid a portion of the loan I still had on the vehicle. Ford motor has not recalled 1997 explorers but have 1998. The fire report issued claims it was an electrical fire. My vehicle was a total loss.

Filed Aug 4, 2006 · Engine · NJ · fire

The engine on my 1997 ford explorer caught on fire and destroyed my vehicle.