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1998 FORD EXPLORER — VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

1 injured · 337994 · 2002-03-07

Vehicle

Make
FORD
Model
EXPLORER
Year
1998
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Component
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
Speed
60 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
1
Fire
No
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

MY CLIENT SUFFERED 3RD AND 4TH DEGREE BURNS OF RIGHT FOREFOOT AND TOES FROM EXTREME HEAT EMITTED BY VEHICLE'S MANUALLY CONTROLLED HEATER. THE HEATER VENT IS JUST INCHES ABOVE THE GAS PEDAL, DIRECTED AT DRIVER'S FOOT. BURN VICTIM REQUIRED SKIN GRAFTS, THEN 3 TOES AMPUTATED. OVER $400,000 IN MEDICAL BILLS AND TREATMENT. HEATER TESTED AT 180 DEGREES OVER THE GAS PEDAL. CLIENT'S FEET WERE NUMB DUE TO DIABETES, AND DIDN'T FEEL EXTREME HEAT WHILE DRIVING CAR ON HIGHWAY FOR 25 MILES OVER, 1/2 HOUR WITH HEATER ON. FORD SAYS "NO DEFECT" - OTHER EXPLORERS WITH SAME TEMP READINGS. *AK

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
759027
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown