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I am one of those unfortunate owners of a 1999 Ford Explorer.  I purchased this SUV in August of 2008 and it started to have electrical problems almost emidiately. We Kept telling the dealer that there was a short in there and they would keep the car for a week or more each time  and they said the problems were fixed, but it wasn't. The radio would come on and off by itself and the instrument panel would go dim and then bright. the head light woukld get real dim. Problem after problem. We finally had enought and we were taking it back for the last time. On the way there it cought on fire with my son driving it, he barely got out in time. As soon as he did, it burst into flames. By the time the Fire Dept got there  it was totaly gone. The Fire Chief told us that there was a recall on my Suv for a short in the speed control unit, and that is probably what cought on fire, This happined in Oct of 2009. I was never informed of this recall by the dealer or by Ford. Is there any kind of leagle action I can take  against either one . I thought there was a lawyer that was taking on these cases but I can't remember who it is. Any help out there would be greatly appreciated  

Ford Fire Recall Lawsuit

With co-counsel, Lieff Cabraser is representing owners of Ford trucks and other vehicles in lawsuits against Ford for the damages they suffered allegedly due to a defect in the cruise-control switch which caused the vehicle to catch on fire.

Lieff Cabraser is representing the family of a 4-year-old girl killed in a fire on January 1, 2004, allegedly caused by the switch defect in the family's 2001 Ford F-150. The girl, Blake Washington, was asleep in her bed when the fire broke out. The Washington family filed a wrongful death suit in Georgia State Court on July 15, 2005.

In June 2005, a lawsuit was filed in Iowa by the family of Darletta Mohlis, who died from injuries from a fire in her home May 2, claiming her death was the result of the failure of a cruise control deactivation switch inside her 1996 F-150 truck that was made by Texas Instruments.

Vehicle Fire Attorneys | Lawyers

Owners of the Ford vehicles who lost their vehicle due to fire and also suffered other significant property damage (such as the loss of their house) or were personally injured, are welcome to contact an attorney at Lieff Cabraser experienced in handling fire recall claims against Ford . There is no charge or obligation for our review of your case.

You may contact us by telephone toll free at 1-866-313-1973 and request to speak to Ford fire recall attorney Mark Chalos. We will also investigate vehicles made by other manufacturers that caught fire and led to an injury or significant property damage.  

the recall was on the pressure switch on the front of the master cylinder...  it required the dealer to install a chunk of fusible link in one wire to it..

why.. that circuit ended up not being properly fused... when the pressure switch after many years of use shorts to ground... instead of being isolated... this causes the wiring harness to burn..   usually starting exactly what happened to you...

since your car was in the shop for repairs several times just prior to the fire.. just mention that to your insurance company if you have full coverage.. .. are you a member of AAA???

this switch is part of the cruise control system.. it disconnects the cruise control if you press on the brakes...

there is a problem..    what was written on the repair invoices.. does it describe what was done????  what the exact problems were...   some mechanics and dealers don't put down exactly what was done.. or what was wrong..  so it makes it hard to prove what was done..   i bet your copys of the invoices were in the car also...  and burned...  perhaps.. credit card records might help.. but its an up hill road..  did you buy the truck from that dealer????  it was 11 or 12 years old..  and that is going to be a point they make...

i had several customers with gm car fires after fixing the ac system...   it took several years for me to figure out what was happening.. as we did not the repairs..  until it happened in the shop...  turns out.. on that mid 80s front wheel drive.. there was a short to ground in the wiring harness above the gas pedal.. 18 inches from the ignition switch.. on the ac blower power circuit..  the harness works back and forth on a sharp piece of sheet metal above the gas pedal.. until it hits that wire..   then it burns out the fusible link...   shops replace the burned fusible link.. or just hook it back up without..  it the wrong size fusible link is used.. the next time there is a short..   the harness burns.. since it in running against plastic and sound deadening insulation.. there is plenty of fuel for the fire.. but this was on a gm..  

I am another poor victim of the Ford Explorer Sport 2000. I purchased this car from my brother,. It was garaged and maintained since purchase. Every recall was addressed, and serviced regularly. I purchased this car with 21,000 original miles. It was an automatic 4X4, brought it from Chicago to Florida, and because I needed a 4X4 automatic vehicle, deoendable in Costa Rica, I shipped the car to Costa Rica February 2008. It was driven less than 6,000 miles between Florida and Costa Rica. On 1/31/2010, wewhile driving the car in  4X4 mode, the car started to smoke, I immediately stopped and turned off the ignition. There were 4 of us in the car, and it is 2 door. I imnmnediately ordered everyone out of the car and to get away as fast as possible. Within 2-3 minutes the car burst into flames, and within 5-10 minutes was consumed. All that was left was the frame, all else literally melted, or incinerated. I could not even put out the flames with a fire extinguisher that I had in the car, as it was too fast, and too hot. I have contacted Ford -and I think I will also contact an attorney handling these recall fires as well. If anyone has already done this, please let me know. There were no injuries, thank God, but I no longer have a car, and no insurance coverage, as only personal liability/medical coverage was on it since there was no lien.  

What were the years for the recall? And was the sport trac included in it?  I would think since I'm the original owner of the vehicle that I would have received something about it if it was, but I would rather be safe than sorry.  

the recall is for the cruise control. acually there are 2 recalls for fires on Ford SUV,And F-series trucks.
Call or take your vehicle to a Ford  dealership to repair a cruise control switch system that has been tied to engine fires.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a second consumer advisory to owners of certain unrepaired Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, vans and passenger cars who have not responded to previous recalls.
NHTSA said about 12 million vehicles have been part of the recall and nearly 5 million still have not been fixed.
The recalls have affected Ford's popular F-Series pickup trucks and led to hundreds of complaints and dozens of lawsuits over engine fires.
Dealers have installed a fused wiring harness into the speed control electrical system as part of the recall, and the government said replacement parts are available. Owners can take their vehicle to a dealer to have the cruise control deactivated until the parts arrive.
NHTSA issued a lengthy list of older vehicles covered by the consumer advisory, including 1993-2004 Ford F150 trucks, 1994-2002 F250 through F550 Super Duty trucks  and 1998-2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs.