1990 FORD THUNDERBIRD Electrical System Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH ON DRY FLAT ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND KEPT THE VEHICLE FROM FURTHER ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE PULLED OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CONTACT LET THE VEHICLE COOL DOWN FOR AN HOUR, AND THEN DROVE TO THE RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT NOTICED A NHTSA RECALL#96V071000 REGARDING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THAT MANY FUSES HAVE BLOWN OUT DUE TO THIS IGNITION PROBLEM, AND SOMETIMES A CLICKING SOUND WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN MAKING TURNS TO EITHER SIDE.

Mileage: 155,000

1. JUST SUDDENLY STARTED OCCURRING. 2. RE: CAMPAIGN ID # 96V071000, I HAVE AN IGNITION PROBLEM WITH MY 1990 FORD THUNDERBIRD BUT WAS TOLD BY FORD MY VIN DOES NOT APPLY TO RECALL. ALTHOUGH NO FIRE, I BELIEVE THERE IS SOME SORT OF SHORT CIRCUIT IN MY IGNITION SWITCH. THE AUTOMATIC SEAT-BELT WILL, AT UNPREDICTABLE TIMES, NOT MOVE INTO POSITION WHEN IGNITION SWITCH IS TURNED AND AT THE SAME TIME THE ENGINE WILL TURN OVER NORMALLY BUT WILL NOT START. "EVERY TIME" SEAT BELT DOESN'T WORK, ENGINE WILL NOT START. 3. HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS, YET. *JB

Mileage: 74,000

ENGINE FIRE

Mileage: 87,000

WIRES IN STEERING WHEEL CAUGHT ON FIRE.*AK DURING THE FIRE THE CONSUMER SON WAS INJURED. *YH

VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. STOP AND GO IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC. DEALERSHIP WILL PICK IT UP.*AK

MODUAL FIRST FAILED SEP 00. CAR LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES AT 60 MPH. CAR WAS PARKED FROM SEP 00 TO 26 JULY 01 WHILE FORD GOT PART. NEW MODUEL WAS INSTALLED 26 JULY 01 AND FAILED 8 AUG 01 AGAIN AT 60 MPH WITHOUT POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. FORD DEALER IS NOW LOOKING FOR A NEW ONE. PART WAS LISTED AT $100.00 AT TIME OF SEP 00 FAILURE. MODUAL OBTAINED IN JUL 01 THAT FAILED IN AUG 01 COST $306.00

IGNITION FAILS TO SHUT VEHICLE OFF AND ENGINE CONTINUES TO RUN. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT ANY INDICATIN VEHICLE WOULD STALL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

VEHICLE IS WAITING FOR REPAIRS TO THE IGNITION MODULE, CONSUMER IS WAITING FOR THE PARTS BEFORE THE REPAIR IS MADE. *SLC

VEHICLE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY 4 DAYS. IT CAUGHT FIRE. FIRE DEPT DISTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. INDICATION OF FIRE ORIGIN WAS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH FIXED WIRES. CONTACTED FORD. INDICATED RECALL WAS SENT OUT. BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE SKIPPING & MISSING. TOOK TO SERVICE DEPT & INFORMED HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN & WATER LEAKED INTO CYLINDER. NO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THUNDERBIRD ABOUT HEAD GASKETS. *AK

NO SUMMARY

FORD HAS CEASED MANUFACTURE OF NEEDED PART AND HAS COLLUDED WITH AFTERMARKET MANUFACTURER TO REMOVE ALL SIMILAR PARTS FROM INDEPENDENT PARTS SUPPLIERS. THIS IS A RECALL SITUATION NEEDING IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. IT IS ALREADY THE SUBJECT OF A COURT ACTION IN CALIFORNIA WHERE A JUDGE OF THE ALAMEDA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT IS ABOUT TO RULE ON A RECALL OF THIS PARTICULAR IGNITION MODULE. FORD'S DEALERS CLAIM THE PART WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL EARLY 2001!!! THIS SITUATION IS PREPOSTEROUS AND HAS ALREADY COST ME IN EXCESS OF $1500 IN RENTAL CAR BILLS. YOUR IMMEDIATE HELP WITH THIS ,PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AUTO'S WARNING SYSTEM WENT OFF ALL AT ONCE,LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL

DRIVING AT 65 MPH,ALL WARNING LIGHTS AND SOUNDS WENT OFF,LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL

SWITCH HAS FAILED CAUSING SAFETY FEATURES TO FAULT AND NOT WORK. *AK

POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL FAILURE CAUSED THE ALTENATOR TO CAUGHT FIRE & OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS TO MALFUNCTION. THIS HAS OCCURED TWICE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *YC

MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH SHORTED CAUSING WIRING HARNESS TO FRY AND LIGHTS TO GO OUT ON VEHICLE. CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN AT NIGHT AT THE TIME.

ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESS OVERHEATED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE, WHILE CONSUMER WAS SITTING IN THE VEHICLE, DIDN'T NOTICE ANY SMOKE OR SMELL OF FIRE, CONSUMER HAD REPLACED ALTERNATOR 10 DAYS PRIOR TO INCIDENT. *AK

BYPASS RELAY FAILED CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH STARTING VEHICLE.

VEHICLE WAS SMOKING WHEN PULLED INTO A GARAGE, AND BURST INTO FLAMES. FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY EXTINGUISHER. FIRE DEPARTMENT MOVED THE CAR FROM GARAGE. ALSO, BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON BEFORE THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. NO WARRANTY. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER ARE AWARE, AND CANNOT TAKE THE CASE. *AK

DROVE VEHICLE TO WORK AT 7:30 AM. SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, CAME BACK TO VEHICLE AT 10:00 AM AND DISCOVERED THAT VEHICLE HAD BEEN BURNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT THE FIRE OUT, AND NOTED IN THE REPORT THAT THE FIRE STARTED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

VEHICLE FIRE DUE TO FAILURE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH.

OWNER STATES THAT ECU COMPUTER TAKES OVER VEHICLE AND THAT VEHICLE ACCELERATES WITHOUT DRIVER APPLICATION OF GAS PEDAL. DEALERS HAVE REPLACED OXYGEN SENSOR, BUT PROBLEM REMAINS. OWNER ALSO NOTES OF THROTTLE LINKAGE/ BRAKING. ALSO.ONWER VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF, AND SOMETIMES THE ENGINE WILL COME ON BY ITSELF. THE OTHER TIMES DRIVER WILL HAVE TO TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH TO GET IT BACK ON. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL,HICH STARTED IN THE HARNESS AREA. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. *AK

VEHICLE HAD A RECALL FOR IGNITION SWITCH. PARKED VEHICLE AND SMOKE WAS EVERYWHERE, THEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ALTERNATOR.*AK

WHILE PARKED ABOUT 15 MINUTES, NEIGHBOR NOTICED VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE, SMOKE WAS EVERYWHERE, OPENED HOOD, UNDERHOOD ENGULFED WITH FLAMES; NO WARNING. *AK

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE CAUSED BY THE IGNITION SWITCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO RUN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURN OFF AND CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DIE OUT. *AK

VEHICLE CAUGHT 0N FIRE CAUSED BY THE IGNITION SWITCH.PLEASE DECRIBE. *AK

THERE IS A STRONG BURNING SMELL WHILE VEHICLE IS PARKED, OWNER BELIEVES ITS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *AK

THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

DROVE AND PARKED, AND PARKED, COMPARTMENT FIRE NEAR THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK

COMPUTER PANEL INACCURATE.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED, AND WHEN STARTING, UNDER DASH COMPARTMENT FIREBROKE OUT, ELECTRICAL SHORT. *AK

ELECTRICAL SHORT UNDER THE DASH FIRE, WIRING HARNESS , VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR A PERIOD OF 40 MIN. TT THE CONSUMER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT STARTED THE FIRE. THE INSURANCE WAS INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE AUTHOMATIC SEAT BELT HARNESS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE MALFUNCTIONED. *YH

VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE SHORT IN ALTERNATOR. RESULTING IN VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE. TT