NHTSA complaint: 1984 FORD RANGER — VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
NOTICED IN LOCAL PAPER CONCERN OVER FIRES IN HEATING/VENTILATING SYSTEM OF FORD VEHICLES. BURNING OF LEAVES CAUGHT IN HEATER DUCTING WHICH WAS IGNITED BY HEATER MOTOR SPEED CONTROL RESISTANCE COILS LOCATED IN HEATER DUCTWORK HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES ON MY 1984 FORD RANGER PICKUP. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN THE LATE 1980'S IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER AND THE LATEST INCIDENT WAS OCTOBER OF 1997. HORTOCULTURIST AT BOTANICAL GARDEN WHERE I VOLUNTEER HAD A SIMILAR FIRE IN JANUARY OF 1999 IN A 1980'S FULL SIZED FORD PICKUP (DON'T KNOW EXACT YEAR). ALTHOUGH THIS TYPE OF FIRE IS SHORT AND DOES NOT APPEAR TO DO A GREAT AMOUNT OF DAMAGE; IT IS VERY DISTURBING AT THE TIME. YOUR VISIBILITY IS CLOUDED, YOU IMMEDIATELY GET OFF OF ROAD TO GET OUT OF 'BURNING' VEHICLE AND FOR SOME TIME VEHICLE HAS ASHES BLOWING FROM VENT SYSTEM AND ODOR OF SMOLDERING LEAVES LEFT IN VEHICLE. THIS COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT TRAFFIC SAFETY OCCURANCE IF TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY AND CONTROL OF VEHICLE WAS LOST OR ONCOMING TRAFFIC HIT VEHICLE AS IT WAS BEING STOPPED TO CHECK SOURCE OF THE 'FIRE'. I NOTICE THAT THE 1992 FORD E-150 VAN WHICH WE OWN HAS A FINER MESH SCREEN BELOW THE VENT AIR INTAKE IN FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD; WHEREAS, THE 1984 (AND OTHER) FORD VEHICLE DOES NOT. WHEN I CAN REMEMBER EACH YEAR, I REMOVE THE HEATER CONTROL SWITCH FROM THE DUCTING AND FISH OUT THE LEAVES WITH A PIECE OF WIRE THROUGH THE SMALL ACCESS HOLE. DON'T REMEMBER TO DO THIS EVERY YEAR--AND I EXPECT MOST OWNERS DON'T OR DON'T KNOW HOW AND FORD DEA
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation