NHTSA complaint: 1966 FORD MUSTANG — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A REAR IMPACT COLLISION. VEHICLE GAS TANK RUPTURED ON IMPACT, SPEWING FUEL INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. OCCUPANT, MY 16 YEAR OLD SON, DIED OF "EXCESSIVE CHARRING." ON SCENE WITNESS (A FORMER FIREFIGHTER) REPORTED THAT THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. PREVIOUS NHTSA ODI CASE 098 OF DROP-IN-FUEL TANK AND VENT SYSTEM 1960-1970 FALCON, FAIRLANE, COMET, MONTEGO, MUSTANG AND COUGAR PASSENGER CARS APPLICABLE AS CRASH TEST INFORMATION WAS WITH-HELD BY THE MANUFACTURER DURING THE INVESTIGATION (CRASH TEST 301). RECENT 60 MINUTES 2 PROGRAM, TO BE RE-AIRED ON 17 AUGUST, ADDRESSED DETAILS OF THIS AND RELATED INCIDENTS (OVER 70 LAWSUITS FILED AS A RESULT OF POST REAR-IMPACT FIRE RELATED INJURIES/DEATHS IN LATE MODEL FORD MUSTANGS). FORMER HEAD OF NHTSA, MRS. JOAN CLAYBROOK, INTERVIEWED ON PROGRAM CONFIRMING THAT FMC WITH-HELD INFORMATION PERTINENT TO AND REQUESTED FOR THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION ON THE CRASHWORTHINESS OF THE EARLY MODEL FORD MUSTANG DROP IN FUEL TANK SYSTEMS. OVER 2 MILLION MUSTANGS PRODUCED WITH THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM AS WELL AS OTHER MODELS BY THE FMC. THE GREAT POPULARITY OF THE EARLY PRODUCTION FORD MUSTANG MAKES THIS A CONTINUING AND GROWING PROBLEM IN REGARDS TO PASSENGER/HIGHWAY SAFETY. THE CONDUCT OF THE FMC IN THEIR CONTINUEING REFUSAL TO ADMIT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THIS DESIGN CONSIDERING THAT THEY HAVE KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS, NOT TO MENTION THEIR WILLFULL AND WANTON DISREGARD OF BOTH THE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN T
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation