NHTSA complaint: 2010 FORD F-150 — VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:REAR WINDOW
REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER/WINDOW ASSEMBLY CONNECTION DEFECTIVE, SHORTS OUT CAUSING FIRE AND GLASS BREAKAGE. I DROPPED OFF MY DAUGHTER AT PRESCHOOL AND FIVE MINUTES LATER I NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR DEFROSTER WINDOW BEHIND HER CAR SEAT. I PULLED OVER TO FIND THIS BECOMING A FIRE. IT BEGAN AS SMOKE, THEN SPARK, AND THEN FLAME. FORTUNATELY, I HAD A BOTTLE OF WATER IN MY TRUCK, WHICH I BEGAN TO POUR ON IT TO STOP. IT GOT WORSE WITH THE SPARKS, BUT EVENTUALLY WENT OUT. WHILE TRYING TO DISTINGUISH THE FIRE, THE "EXPLOSION" OCCURRED SHATTERING THE REAR WINDOW. I TOOK THIS TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND BEGAN TO RESEARCH ISSUE. I QUICKLY FOUND SEVERAL FORD FORUMS WHERE OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME ISSUE ON 2010 F150 FORD TRUCKS. HERE'S A LINK TO ONE THAT HELPS EXPLAIN THE ISSUE CLEARLY. I POSTED MY EXPERIENCE IN POST 38...HTTP://WWW.F150FORUM.COM/F38/REAR-WINDOW-DEFROSTER-EXPLODING-REAR-WINDOW-129167/.. I SEE THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS TO YOU REGARDING THIS ISSUE PREVIOUSLY. OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE DEFROSTER/WINDOW UNIT CAUSING A VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE. BUT THERE WAS NO NEED TO PUSH ISSUE FURTHER DUE TO THEIR FORD DEALER UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE AND COVERING THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE FORD'S PREMIUMCARE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH SHOULD COVER THIS BUT MY DEALER IS SEEING ONLY AS GLASS BREAKAGE AND REFUSING TO COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY. THERE WOULD BE NO GLASS BREAKAGE IF THE DEFECTIVE ASSEMBLY DIDN'T CAUSE A FIRE, AND IF I DIDN'T HA
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation