ON THE EVENING OF AUGUST 14, 2005, A NEIGHBOR INFORMED MY FAMILY THAT OUR PARKED 1994 FORD CROWN VICTORIA, VIN NUMBER [XXX], HAD SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD. IT MAY BE ON FIRE. I CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR/CYLINDER AREA OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT/DRIVER'S SIDE. NO VISIBLE FIRE WAS DETECTED AT THIS TIME, BUT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME SORT OF COMBUSTION THAT HAD OCCURRED DUE TO THE VOLUME OF SMOKE. (NOTE - ALL COOLANT HOSES WERE CHECKED AND NO DEFECTS WERE OBSERVED WHICH WOULD CREATE THE APPEARANCE OF SMOKE THROUGH STEAM) I CHECKED THE FUSE BOX AND NOTICED THAT THE FUSE ALLOWING POWER TO THE BRAKE ACTIVATION/DEACTIVATION SWITCHES WAS BLOWN. I REPLACED THE FUSE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE IN A THICK WHITE CLOUD FROM THE SAME AREA AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE NEXT DAY I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER'S EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE SPEED DEACTIVATION SWITCH, WHICH THE DEALER LABELS AS A "KIT - BRAKE SWITCH". RICK COLLINS, THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME HE WAS UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH FORD VEHICLES, MINE IN PARTICULAR THAT MAY BE CATCHING ON FIRE AS A RESULT OF THIS SWITCH. I CONDUCTED FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET WHICH LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS OR MAY BE A PROBLEM THAT COULD CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY TO SOMEONE. MY VEHICLE WAS UNATTENDED AND TURNED OFF WHEN THE SMOKE BEGAN AND THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN A MORE SERIOUS SITUATION. FURTHER IT APPEARS THAT FORD D