My son told me he didn't have any brake lights on his truck, a 1997 ford f150. I thought it might be a fuse since he said that he replaced the bulbs. When I replaced the fuse there was a abundance of smoke coming from underneath the hood. To locate the source of smoke with the hood open we replaced the fuse again. The smoke was coming from the cruise control module on the master cylinder. We replaced the part and I have kept the old part. I can supply the number on the part or send it anywhere you like.
1997 Ford F-150 acceleration complaints
Page 4 of 9: complaints 71 to 100 of 221, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Dt: the consumer stated that the 1997 ford f 150 caught on fire and burnt completely. The owner parked the truck at 6 pm in the garage and at 9 pm heard the horn. The owner then went to the garage to check on the truck and found the truck burning. The fire was coming from the driver's side under the hood. The owner said the fire was from the cruise control switch. Claimed that he was just seconds from losing his house. The owner had not seen anything in the tv news or news papers about the ongoing investigations with the switch. The owner had not used the cruise control that day or did not notice anything funny about how the truck was driving. A fire department report, and an insurance report were issued. Pictures were taken. The vehicle has already been moved from the fire location. The vehicle was a totaled. Loss and there was damage to the owner's house, severe smoke damage throughout the house. The insurance took care of the smoke damages. There were no injuries.
While watching cnn news august 16 2005, a report was on what should have been a recall of ford vehicles that have a faulty cruise control switch. I was parked and had been sitting for approximately thirty minutes when I noticed smoke coming from under the hood. At that point, I opened the hood and saw where the smoke was coming from, then grabbed the wiring way above the heat source and started pulling the wires until they broke loose. The wiring was attached to a switch at the end of my brake cylinder, it was the cruise control for the vehicle. The vehicle would not crank and I could not remove it from park, I had to call for help. A day or so later, I saw a report on cnn news about the problem for this switch and ford was not doing anything about it. It would have been good ,if ford would have notified me of this problem. I had driven my mom to visit someone in a nursing home, otherwise my truck would have been on my carport. Is there more hidden problems that ford is hiding that could, or would, have destroyed my house by fire if I had not been in the vehicle at the time? Is it safe to park in my garage now? I asked cherokee ford in wookstock, georgia if they knew of a recall on this since it was on the news, and they said some vehicles were, but not mine, and to keep watching the news and if, (big word)ford did have a recall, come back and they could reimburse for the part only, since my repairs were complete.
Dt: there is a recall for the vehicle speed control for the 2000 ford f150, stating it can lead to fires. Vehicle was parked in a parking lot and the ignition was off. Went out to the vehicle and there was a burning smell. Some wiring melted. Contacted ford, they said the recall was for 2000 models. The consumer had vehicle repaired, they replaced the speed control deactivation switch. This happened on june 23, 2005. The consumer did not have any pictures of the vehicle, but did have the invoice from where the vehicle was repaired.
Dt: 1997 ford f150. The consumer states on august 10, 2005 h vehicle caught on fire. The vehicle had been sitting for approximately 7 hours before this occurred. The vehicle did not have any problems prior to fire. The fire department was called and they filed a report. Ford has been notified. The vehicle has not yet been inspected to see why this occurred. The consumer suspected it started under the hood on the driver's side. It was the cruise control switch. The vehicle was totaled.
1.well first the cruise control on my 97 ford f150 went out. Then my brake lights went out too. Replacecd brake lights ,then fuse went out in interior fuse box so, truck would not go into gear. Replaced fuse then it blew it again. Replaced again truck could now shift into gear. I went home parked truck the truck in drive way and did not move it for the truck for the rest of the day. Was waken up about 3 in the morning by cops telling me my truck was on fire. The truck ended up burnt everywhere but the bed total loss pretty much un drivable. Burned a 95 caravan and part of a 2002 ford excursion. I know have I vehicle to move my kids that are in school and myself and my wife which also now has some serious nerve damage she has nightmares of other vehicle burning and can hardly sleep. Tried contacting ford but c.s. Department puts me on hold all day.
Dt: the caller parked the vehicle and one and a half hours later it burst into flames. The caller thought a report was filed by the fire department. The dealer said that the caller had insurance and not to worry about it. The manufacturer urged the caller to contact the dealer if he wanted to know what was being done. The fire damage was done to the driveway, and a tree was destroyed. *ak
The federal safety agency: this is in relation to an under hood fire in a 1997 ford f150 pertaining to the speed control deactivation switch, brake pressure switch. On july 23, 2005 a neighbor came banging on my door yelling your truck is on fire. There was a fire coming out from under the hood where the brake master cylinder is located. The truck was parked in my drive under my carport and had been idle for approximately 2.5 hours. I ran to get my fire extinguisher and attempted to extinguish the fire. My neighbor called the fire department and then came out with another fire extinguisher. Another neighbor grabbed his extinguisher and gave it to me and that also failed. I grabbed my hose to try to minimize the fire until the fire department arrived. I only had on shorts (no shoes). I received several burns on the bottom of my feet the hole that was melted in the hood of the truck clearly shows where the fire was located. The day before that I had went to a mechanic to have my A/C looked at. The mechanic pointed out that brake fluid was leaking onto the speed control deactivation switch. On a ford recall web site it says the following signs could indicate that you have a problem with your cruise-control switch: cruise control is not working properly (mine recently stopped working); brake fluid leaking around the switch (exactly what the mechanic pointed out); fuses are blown near the switch, (that morning the truck would not go into gear and a mobile mechanic came out and he replaced the brake pressure switch fuse). Everything points to this problem with the speed control deactivation switch recall problem ford is having. I contacted ford to see if they wanted to investigate the situation and they said no and showed little to no concern.
Dt: the cruise control switch was burning. The consumer could smell smoke while walking past the vehicle. The consumer was able to stop the smoke before the switch actually caught on fire by disconnected the wire leading to the switch.*ak
Parked the vehicle about 1:15 at about 1:43 the vehicle was reported on fire. Prior to the fire a fuse had blown multiple times that prevented getting out of park. After first fuse change it lasted a couple of weeks then it blew again. The fuses that were used were the proper size. The owner called ford to figure out why could not get out of park. The cruise control was not used often. The vehicle was insured by state farm and was investigated. Owner has post fire pictures and will send.
Dt: on july 2 2005 while driving down the road the throttle cable broke. The owner was coming down a two lane highway. The consumer noticed that the accelerator wasn't being pushed, the cruise control wasn't on, and the vehicle was speeding on its own. The consumer engaged the parking brake, while going 50-55 MPH. After engaging the parking brake, the truck took about 3/4 of a mile to come a stop. The vehicle finally hit an oak tree and stopped and no air bags deployed. The owner's wife was injured with upper neck and back. Injuries. The owner''s daughter was bruised on the face. The vehicle didn't come in contact with any other vehicles. There was no other problems with the vehicle accelerator sticking before. Ford reported that there was no recalls about this. The owner has contacted the dealership. The vehicle has not been deemed a total loss. The owner has to replace the brakes and throttle cable. Insurance will pay for repairs to the body. About a week before the crash, the consumer had to replace the oxygen sensor. That warning light stayed on about a week before repair. At this time owner is waiting for the repair work to be completed. Owner stated that dealership said that the problem could have been caused by a throttle cable housing.
1997 ford f150 caught on fire underneath the hood near the cruise control mechanism.*mr when the consumer contacted the manufacturer about faulty cruise control switches, he was told his vehicle was not included in the recall.
Cruise control switch (brake pressure switch) on my 1997 ford f-150 over heated and caught on fire after sitting for 3 hours in the parking lot at my work. No serious damage to truck. I had the truck towed to the local ford dealer for repair. I was aware of a recall for the 2000-2001 f-150's with this problem. The dealer was very professional, however ford also has a problem with the 1997 models and should be recalled . If this fire had not been noticed by one of my co-workers I might have losted the truck. This costed me around $170 with towing and I feel ford is aware they have a serious problem with this vehicle and should do the right thing for safety and at fords expense.
Vehicle fire involving the speed control disconnect switch ((cruise control defect)) on this 1997 ford f150. Limitted burn in engine compartment. Vehicle is in very good condition, and this fire pattern/evidence is a prime example of the failure of this vehicle component. Salvage is presently preserved for inspection.
Dt: the rear end is making a whining noise. The tires on the vehicle are starting to separate. The tires are brand new put on march 21, 2003. The tires are ameritrac general, p255/70r16. The consumer can not locate the number for the tire company. Therefore, he cannot contact them. The dealership states that he will have to pay for the diagnostic to find out what is wrong with the rear end. The consumer's mechanic states that the bearings on the rear end are bad due to bad casing; it will not align itself up with the transmission. Also, cruise control stopped working at the same time that the whining started. The mechanic states it will not ground in order to make it activate the switch. Consumer has contacted ford, and was advised to take the vehicle in. When he called to take the vehicle in he was told he will have to pay for a service that should have been done before he purchased the vehicle. Consumer states that the vehicle has been sitting in driveway for six months, because it is unsafe to drive. When stepping on the brakes there is a mushy feeling, and the front end shakes and shimmies.
Dt this saturday july 9th, my vehicle caught fire up under the hood, the vehicle setting in the yard. It had been setting there for about a hour. Have contacted ford they are having a consumer contact me. The fire started on the drivers side and that where most of the damage is. Melted everything up under the hood was able to put it out before it got to the cab of the vehicle.
On july 11,2005 jason went to work and parked his 1997 ford f-150 pickup in the parking lot of his job rolled up all the windows and locked the doors and took the key.at apromently 9.00am he went out for his break to find the fire department at his truck its a total loss.the only thing left is the cab of the truck.
Dt: consumer states when she went to get into the vehicle there was smoke coming from under the hood. When shelifted the hood, it was discovered the smoke was coming from the cruise control sensor and unhooked it. At that point the vehicle stopped smoking. The vehicle had been in the driveway for approximately 45 minutes. The dealership told them it wasn't under recall although there have been reports of the same problem. The vehicle hadn't caught on fire.
Dt: the cruise control switch burned the wiring harness and the wire was burned in two. The connector that comes into switch was burnt and the brake fluid was leaking out of the switch. The vehicle had been sitting for about a day before it burned. Owner never smelled any smoke or saw any flames. The switch just melted. There were no other major concerns with vehicle, it is regularly serviced. After the switch was burned owner replaced the switch and connector with another one bought at a local auto store. The owner has not yet reported to ford.
The vehicle parked for 5 hours, observed flames on driver's side of hood, it was completely engulfed. The cruise control quit working one year prior.
Dt: truck was parked and engine was not running, consumer drove about a half hour before he discovered vehicle was on fire. Flames were coming from driver's side under hood near cab of truck. Flames were extinguished by 4 witnesses with a fire distinguisher. Fire department was not called. Mechanic on site opened hood and suspected the fire began near the master cylinder. No repairs were made since this occurred.
Dt: cruise control caught 0n fire. Had reported to ford before this came out bought another cruise control, but then had disconnectedit. Vehicle overheated and burnt the brake fluid, but was in time to put out the fire.
Dt: cruise control has been disconnected because it quit working, and because of its potential to start fire. Cruise was working fine when I consumer bought the truck.
While the vehicle was parked, a fire started under the hood. The vehicle was totaled. The dealership is aware of the problem. *jb other vehicle's were damaged during the fire and one person was burned on the arm while trying to contain the fire with a fire extinguisher. The consumer request reimbursement from the manufacturer for the damages.
Dt: the contact owns a 1997 ford f150. The vehicle caught on fire from the speed control deactivation switch.
Parked the vehicle at 10:00 and at 10:30 the alarm sounded. Went to look at vehicle and saw fire under the hood on the driver's side. Pictures posted at http://plaza.ufl.edu/bethie21/. The cruise control failed before the fire, and the brake lights had gone out. The cruise control failed before christmas. The brake lights went out in early january. The vehicle would not come out of park. We replaced the fuse and it blew again. We replaced it 3 times and it stopped blowing. The vehicle was insured by state farm policy number 8922531-59 4.*ak
Dt: consumer parked truck wednesday night, when he got back into truck the next morning it would start once but not move out of gear. It would not come out of park. The engine was barely running and missing. There was a smell of smoke. Turned engine off due to the odd smell. Inspected under hood. There had been a fire that evidently burned out itself. Cruise control quit earlier. The truck could not be driven due to this problem. Afraid to move or attempt to repair anything for fear it may catch on fire again. Consumer called ford, no recall on that particular model, but they were having a problem with those vehicles, but will not do anything until there was a recall. The most fire damage was seen on the master cylinder, suspected that the brake fluid may have had a hand in the fire along with the sensor. Was missing brake fluid upon inspection.
Abs light came on as we were pulling up to our back garage door. We opened the hood of the truck to check the brake fluid level. That area of the engine was on fire! We were able to quickly put out the fire. We had the vehicle towed to the repair shop. They replaced all the parts that were burnt (unfortunately we did not think to keep the old parts). As a side note, the technician working on the vehicle mentioned that ford has a recall out for 2000 and newer vehicles for the cruise control switch - which they have determined is the cause of fires in these models. He said the cause of the fire in our vehicle was the cruise control switch, the very same part that ford has the recall for. The cruise control switch the repair shop used to replace the burnt up one was obtained from ford and is the very same part they are using in their recall. Unfortunately, our vehicle is a 1997 ford f150 and therefore does not falling within the recall.
The vehicle was parked for about a hour when it caught on fire. The consumer extinguished the fire with water hose. *ak the fire started at the master cylinder which was replaced. A couple of weeks later the cruise control stop working. *sc
Dt: the consumer owns a 97 ford f150 and the cruise control switch caught fire and burned the master cylinder and wiring harness at the switch. Also it blew a fuse in the circuit that kept it from burning further. When the consumer went to start the vehicle, it would not shift out of park because the ABS circuit was disabled. The consumer bought materials to repair the damage. After which ford had recalled later model pick ups. The consumer feels this is a wide spread problem and other years were affected also.
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