Explorer Fire

[Gary DiPietroSr]

My buddy lost his explorer last night because that switch on the master cylinder caught on fire. Anyone know if he has any recourse against Ford?



Gary D.

 

[Michael Cacioppo]

He might. I believe it was a recall issue. C/O the link below.

 

[Bill Barber]

Thats why anyone who needs that simple cheap fix done should just do it, 16 bux and 10 minutes.

If the ST is in the garage, could take out the entire house.

 

[troy malone]

from the link above...



Q. I lost my vehicle in a fire and it is one of the vehicles included in the recall. Will I be reimbursed for damages?

A. Customers should work with their insurance company to address these concerns.

 

[Martin]

All the more reason to install smoke detectors in the garage and keep a working fire ext in there as well.

 

[Bill Barber]

By the time the detectors go off, and you respond to the now raging fire, your house will be history

16 bux and 10 minutes work guys, just do it.

 

[Tom Schindler]

If he recieved a recall notice and never went to the dealer to get it addressed, he is on his own. Ford did thier part, he never did his.





Tom

 

[Martin]

The fix for the cc for sure, but still a good idea to have a detector out there should something start smoldering.

 

[EddieS'04]

Might be tough to fight ford if he got the notice and did nothing. Before ford had available parts. Customers were told to come in for a disconnect. Plus all the media about the issue. Not trying to be the bad guy but why hasnt he done somethingabout it already.?

 

[A K]

If he recieved a recall notice and never went to the dealer to get it addressed, he is on his own. Ford did thier part, he never did his.

Strict products liability actions usually ignore recall notices. A defective product, if defective when leaving the manufacturer's control, remains defective. No contributory negligence of the purchaser will stop it. Assumption of risk may, but it is a very, very hard defense to advance.

 

[Gary DiPietroSr]

Well, he bought the car used. He's down on his luck with little money and had liability coverage only. So, whoever got the notices about the recall, never passed them on.

I had the fusible link put in my 96 van and got another notice to have it redone and I passed the info along to the guy who bought my van, He hasn't got it done yet.

 

[A K]

Well, he bought the car used. He's down on his luck with little money and had liability coverage only. So, whoever got the notices about the recall, never passed them on.

Prod Liab still applies. It doesn't matter whether the original owner sold it, unless that owner modified it in such a way to create the risk.



Tell him to seek a lawyer. However, his recovery likely will be minimal based on the vehicle's age and current replacement value.

 

[Gary DiPietroSr]

Thanks Adam, maybe he'll get lucky.

 

[paulette lopez 2]

question about that switch on the master cylinder. how can i tell if its been switched out for a new on.. cause my neighbor girl just bought a 97 explorer. and i want to check to see if its been replaced and if it hasnt the she needs to have it replaced.. my under standing is that the bad one is a red switch. and the good one is black.. im i right or wrong. thanks..

 

[Tom Schindler]

ladybug,



You are a little right on both. Not all red ones are recalled (as of yet). Have your neighbor call the dealer, give them the VIN number. If there is a recall, they can tell her and if it has been fixed or not.





Tom

 

[David Ponder]

I bought mine used, but I bought it from the dealership so I guess they knew who to send the notice to. They dont replace the defective switch, they just add a fusible harness to the switch.



When I got my notice to have the fuse harnesss added, my dealer did not have the part. 3 months later, after calling every other week, I got a notice in the mail that they wanted me to go to the dealer so the switch could be disconnected until the parts came in. Well, I use my cruise control daily as I have a 67 mile R/T commute.. I elected to leave it as it was, and wait for the parts to arrive. When the parts finally did get here, (Over 7 months after I got my initial notice!) I had the harness put on. Looking back, perhaps not having it disconnected was not the brightest decision.

 

[Gypsy me]

If he bought it at a Ford dealership, I would think, they should have looked for that since it was a major safety recall.



Hope everything works out for your friend, Gary.

 

[EddieS'04]

I was the 3rd owner of my '94 stang. Ford sent me 2 recalls. I dont know how they knew I was the owner. Unless Texas sends the info to them when it is registered. I bought it from a private owner.