JUST ARRIVED HOME IN MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION FROM WORK ON OCTOBER 6, 2005 AROUND 5:50 PM RAN IN TO CHANGE CLOTHES. WE WERE IN THE HOUSE NO MORE THAN 5-8 MINUTES WHEN WE HEARD A STRANGE SOUND. RAN TO THE FRONT DOOR AND NOTICED SMOKE AND FIRE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY VEHICLE. MY NEIGHBOR RAN FOR THE WATER HOSE & PUT WATER ON THE FIRE UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO HELP. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED JUST A FEW MINUTES BEFORE WE WOULD HAVE BEEN STILL IN THE VEHICLE AND COULD HAVE LOST OUR LIVES IN THE FIRE. JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT FORD CHOOSE TO SEND OUT RECALL NOTICES IN SEPTEMBER 2005 ON THIS YEAR\ MAKE\MODEL REGARDING THE SPEED CONTROL WIRING. NOT ONLY THAT I HAD JUST TAKEN MY VEHICLE INTO FORD SERVICE AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR A PROBLEM WITH MY AIR CONDITIONER AND THE REAR END. THEY SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED THIS DEFECT AT THAT TIME BUT DID NOT. FORD SHOULD HAVE SENT OUT RECALL NOTICES A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO DUE TO THIS DEFECT WHEN PEOPLE WERE HAVING PROBLEMS THEN. IF IT HAD BEEN DONE I WOULD STILL HAVE MY VEHICLE UP TO THIS DAY. *JB