NHTSA complaint: 1994 FORD F-150 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
I DROVE THIS TRUCK TWO HOURS PRIOR TO FIRE WHICH RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS, WITH AN ADDTIONAL AMOUNT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE OF $2,000. THE TRUCK RAN VERY WELL THAT MORNING. I DROVE IT A DISTANCE OF APRROX. 40 MILES, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO SMELLS NOTHING. I HAD THE TRUCK PARKED AT HOME FOR APPROX. 2 1/2 HOURS WHEN I HEARD THE ALARM BEEP ONCE SO I PROCEEDED TO THE TRUCK AND NOTICED A HEAVY AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE WHEEL WELL ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE, AND ALSO THE GRILL AREA. AT THIS POINT I CALLED 911, AND WENT BACK TO THE TRUCK TO TRY TO PULL THE HOOD RELEASE, BUT THERE WERE FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE GRILL AREA. THE FIRE SOON SPREAD THROUGH THE FIRE WALL INTO THE INTERIOR COMPARTMENT, I PROBABLY THREW 20 BUCKETS OF WATER ON THE FIRE PRIOR TO FIRE DEPT. GETTING HERE AND WAS UN-SUCCESSFUL IN PUTTING IT OUT. FORTUNENATLY I DID NOT HAVE THE TRUCK PARKED INSIDE THE ATTACHED GARAGE AT THE TIME. OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN IN THE AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS SINCE 1948 AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH STRANGE NOISES, SMELLS, ETC.. THERE WAS NO FUEL LEAKS ON THIS TRUCK, IT WAS SERVICED REGULARLY, AND FOR A 1994 MODEL IT WAS IN EXCELLANT CONDITION, I HAVE MANY RECENT PHOTOS CONFIRMING THE VEHICLE CONDITION. I WANT TO KNOW OF ANY RECALLS THAT THIS TRUCK MAY HAVE HAD OR NOT HAD AND WOULD APPRECIATE KNOWING THE EXACT CAUSE OF SUCH A DEVASTATING FIRE. I HAD THIS TRUCK PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE FOR THE LAST WEEK OR SO, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO SMELL OF FUEL IN THAT GARAGE, THE FIRST SMOKE I SMELLED WAS OF INSULATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation