So, where were we? Right. After a bit of the usual FoMoCo stonewalling, Ford recalled almost 11 million vehicles (beginning with the 1992 model year) to repair fire hazard flaws in their cruise control and anti-lock braking systems. More specifically, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined that the fuel rail cross-over hose in said vehicles may crack, which could cause a fuel leak. Consumeraffairs.com quotes NHTSA: “Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire." (Ya think?) And now The Blue Oval Boyz are back for round two, fixing the fix that didn't fix the problem. "Safety Recall 08S01" tells owners of 225k supposedly fire-proofed Fords that their rides "may have been repaired using a fused Jumper Harness containing circuit polarity that is not compatible with your vehicle." In bullshit free form, please? My circuits (and lincolnsonline) tell me that this recall added a fuse to the ground wire, not the "hot" power wire. Oops. Oh, and another 57k vehicles have been added to the original recall. Meanwhile, CNNMoney reports that NHTSA has opened an investigation into similar fires involving a brace of 2007 model year Chevrolet Tahoes. If this turns out badly for GM, they're looking at a recall encompassing at least 400k vehicles.
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We don’t need no water let the Mother####er burn!
“fixing the fix that didn’t fix the problem.”
Classic.
They put the fuse in the ground wire? Brilliant. I wonder who screwed that one up. I sure hope it wasn’t a design engineer who was told to fix the problem.
Oops!
This started back in Ford’s Quality is Job 1 days. Can you imagine what it was like before that?
Who in the name of Geebuz fuses a ground? How many passes did this fix go through and no one thought this wasn’t the least bit odd? Be afraid, be very afraid!
How do you do that? Is there some school of anti-engineering these guys go to?
How many layoffs have we seen of white collar types in the last 5 or so years? How many times have they been screwed over re. no or low COLAs? How many top engineering graduates who might have at least considered hiring on at Ford have gone elsewhere either because Ford wasn’t hiring or the grads figured they’d have a better future with another company? This stuff eventually adds up and has real effects.
When I wrote service for a local Ford dealership, to save time we installed the fused wire right on the Service Drive and wrote the ticket up later. I honestly never looked at which way the fuse was wired…
Didn’t they just add 2007 models to the fuel rail crossover recall? I believe they were Econoline vans.
GM also recalled every HHR made with side-curtain airbags.
But the 400 Tundras with faulty, supplier-made cams are a blight on the entire world!
Isn’t the vehicle in the illustration above a Chrysler mini-van from the late 1980’s?
Nah, its a 1st Gen Exploder. Peep that long hood. :)
It’s probably a part engineered as cheaply as possible in some third world country.
The only parts that I have had to replace on my current Grand Marquis were made in China and Mexico, respectively.
Both parts were “reengineered” in the last few years – newer cars suck.
I’ve said enough on Ford’s part of selling cars they know are fatally defective (including very personal losses due to Pintos and Explorer rollover w/o Firestone tires – thankfully they were short and lived without paralysis). My entire family does not touch Ford products even though many live in Ford factory towns. Too many terrible experiences and fiery problems.
They need to do an investigation into Ford’s business practices. These seems to have happened A LOT to Ford in their history. I find it hard to believe its just bad luck. I’m with jaje I wont touch a Ford product and my cousin works on the line.