# 1994 FORD CROWN VICTORIA — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
> NHTSA complaint `550406` · 2005-08-19 · Ford Motor Company
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** FORD
- **Model:** CROWN VICTORIA
- **Year:** 1994
- **Manufacturer:** Ford Motor Company
- **Component:** VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
- **Miles at failure:** 77,668
## Narrative
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
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*