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IOWA MAN SUES FORD, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, AND DUPONT CLAIMING FAULTY ELECTRICAL SWITCH CAUSED FIRE THAT KILLED HIS WIFE AND BURNED DOWN HIS HOME
Jun 30, 2005 | www.Newsinferno.com
After calling 911, 74-year-old Darletta Mohlis died attempting to escape from her burning house. Now, her three children and husband, Earl, are suing the Ford Motor Company in a wrongful death action claiming a faulty cruise-control deactivation switch on Mr. Mohlis’s 1996 Ford F-150 pickup truck caused the fatal fire.In its ongoing investigation of fires linked to faulty cruise control shut off switches in Ford vehicles, CNN has already reported that despite the fact that Ford is aware of 16 million 1992 to 2003 vehicles at risk, only slightly over one million have been recalled.
The switch (manufactured for Ford by Texas Instruments) costs $20.57 and has already being linked to 559 fires reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Many of these fires have completely destroyed the vehicle. In this case, however, Mrs. Mohlis died when her entire house burned down after the family pickup truck caught fire while parked in the garage.
The fires are spontaneous and often occur when the ignition switch is off and the key removed. This is because Ford designed the switch to remain on or “hot” at all times. When a crack develops in the film (supplied by Dupont) separating the brake fluid from the electrical circuit, the leak will cause a fire.
Since May 1999, Ford has recalled a total of 1,071,000 vehicles in two separate recalls. CNN reports, however, that a document it has obtained shows Ford is aware that it installed a total of 16 million of the switches between 1992 and 2003 in the following vehicles:
• Mark VII/VIII from 1994-1998
• Taurus/Sable and Taurus SHO 2.3 L 1993-1995
• Econoline 1992-2003
• F-Series 1993-2003
• Windstar 1994-2003
• Explorer without IVD 1995-2003
• Explorer Sport/Sport Trac 2002-2003
• Expedition 1997-2003
• Ranger 1995-2003
In March 2005, the NHTSA opened an expanded investigation into more than 3.7 million of these vehicles. Ford, however, has chosen not to recall all of the vehicles arguing that the switch has performed well for years in most vehicle models.
As a result, Ford has limited their recalls to those models “with an increasing fire rate report.” A recent recall notice was clear as to the risk, however. Ford stopped using the switch last year in favor of a new design.
In the case of the Mohlis family’s truck, inspections of the truck and fire scene have been performed by two experts hired by the family’s attorney, officials from the NHTSA, and inspectors from Ford.
The family’s experts, an electrical engineer and a certified fire investigator, believe the switch caused the fire. Ford claims the fire started elsewhere and spread to the truck and the switch had nothing to do with the fire. The NHTSA has made no public statement as to its investigation or findings.
Mr. Mohlis states the truck had been parked in the garage and shut off for four days before the fire.
Ford Cruise Control Switch
