1992 FORD THUNDERBIRD Electrical System Problems

1992 FORD THUNDERBIRD RECALLED FOR REPLACEMENT OF IGNITION SWITCH A FEW YEARS BACK (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA95002). DEFECTIVE SWITCH WAS REPLACED WITH EXACT SAME PART THAT WAS RECALLED AND FAILED AGAIN WITHIN ONE YEAR WITH TWO HALVES OF UNIT AGAIN COMING APART. I HAVE JUST REPLACED FOR THE FIFTH TIME WITH EXACT SAME DEFECTIVE UNIT, THIS BEING THE ONLY THING AVAILABLE FROM FORD AND FROM AFTERMARKET SUPPLIERS. HOW DOES REPLACING DEFECTIVE PART WITH EXACTLY SAME PART ELIMINATE FIRE HAZARD ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PART WHICH PROMPTED RECALL IN THE FIRST PLACE??? *TR

1992 FORD THUNDERBIRD RECALLED FOR REPLACEMENT OF IGNITION SWITCH A FEW YEARS BACK (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA95002). DEFECTIVE SWITCH WAS REPLACED WITH EXACT SAME PART THAT WAS RECALLED AND FAILED AGAIN WITHIN ONE YEAR WITH TWO HALVES OF UNIT AGAIN COMING APART. I HAVE JUST REPLACED FOR THE FIFTH TIME WITH EXACT SAME DEFECTIVE UNIT, THIS BEING THE ONLY THING AVAILABLE FROM FORD AND FROM AFTERMARKET SUPPLIERS. HOW DOES REPLACING DEFECTIVE PART WITH EXACTLY SAME PART ELIMINATE FIRE HAZARD ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PART WHICH PROMPTED RECALL IN THE FIRST PLACE??? *TR

CONSUMER' S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS AS STATED IN NHTSA RECALLS 96V071000 AND 99V27500 CONCERNING IGNITION SYSTEM AND HEADLIGHTS. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK *NM

Mileage: 98,000

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SMELLED SMOKE COMING IN FROM THE VENTS. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, LIFTED THE HOOD UP, AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK

WHILE PLACING THE KEY INSIDE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH THE KEY FAILED TO COME OUT FROM THE IGNITION. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE PLACING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SWITCH VEHICLE FAILED TO START. CONSUMER TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE, AND THEN RESTARTED IT. DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC REPLACED SOLENOID SWITCH INSIDE THE IGNITION DUE TO A BURNT OUT WIRE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE EEC FUSE BLEW OUT AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM

SOMETIMES TURN SIGNAL WORKS AND SOMETIMES THEY DO NOT WORK. CONSUMER HAS TO WIGGLE KEY, AND SIGNALS MAY OR MAY NOT ILLUMINATE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. RECALL 96 V 071 000 DESCRIBED THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE HARNESS AT THE ALTERNATOR HAS CAUGHT FIRE TWICE AND I HAVE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR THREE TIMES IN TWO YEARS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT STARTS SMOKING AND SUET COMES OUT AND YOU THINK THE CAR IS GOING TO BLOW UP. IT IS A VERY FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE. THE MECHANIC FOUND SERVICE BULLENTIN ARTICLE #96-21-4 WHICH DESCRIBES THIS. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS. I AM VERY DISTRUBED. PLEASE HELP ME.*AK

VEHICLE EXHIBITS SYMPTOMS SIMILAR TO EARLIER MODELS WITH TFI; SUDDEN STALL AT ANY SPEED OR CONFIGURATION. ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH AMBIENT/ENGINE TEMPERATURE. PROBLEM HAS OCCURED ON HIGHWAY, CREATING EXTRAORDINARILY DANGEROUS SITUATION. DEALER TECHNICIAN DISMISSED POSSIBLE IGNITION FAILURE WHEN ASKED.

HEADLIGHTS GOE OUT FOR VARIOUS INTERVALS WHICH MAY BE PRECEDED BY FLICKERING OR BLINKING AS A RESULT OF CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

IGNITION MODULE MALFUNCTIONED. FORD CANNOT PROVIDE PART, STOPPED PRODUCING THE PART. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN A MALFUNCTION OCCURRED WITHIN IGNITION MODULE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

RECALL 96V-071 (FORD 95S28) WAS ORIGINALLY REPAIRED ON 12/2/97. VEHICLE IS NOW EXPERIENCING A SIMILAR PROBLEM. DEALER WILL NOT HONOR RECALL REPAIR, AND CONSUMER IS BENG CHARGED FOR EXPENSE OF INSTALLING ANOTHER NEW IGNITION SWITCH.*AK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT NIGHT HEADLIGHTS WILL JUST GO OUT. CONSUMER HAD A RECALL ON THE HEADLIGHTS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER , AND THEY REPLACED HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND SOME OTHER WIRES. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM RETURNED. *AK

NHTSA RECALL 96V071000 AND MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 95S28/ IGNITION SYSTEM FAILURE. HAD RECALL DONE ON MAY 26,1999, AND REMEDY FAILED. OWNER REPLACED THE PART HIMSELF, IGNITION SWITCH WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE MOUNTING HARWARE. CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY SHOWED NO CONCERN. *AK *ML

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE RECALL COMPONENT (96V-071) PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE, RESULTING IN FIRE. *MJS

IN THE U.S. MILITARY STATIONED IN EUROPE. FUEL PUMP AND RELAY MALFUNCTIONED. WHILE INSTALLING NEW FUEL PUMP AND RELAY, THE FORD TECHNICIAN FOUND THE WIRING HARNESS PROVIDING CURRENT TO THE PUMP WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED OR WAS A FAULTY DESIGN. IT HAD CHAFFED THROUGH THE HARNESS CASING EXPOSING THE CHARRED AND MELTED WIRES INSIDE. SUBSEQUENT CHAFFING OF INNER WIRES CAUSED A SHORT IN THE CIRCUIT AND MELTING OF THE WIRES THEMSELVES. DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE SHORT, AN EXPLOSION COULD OCCUR IF FUEL VAPORS ARE PRESENT. THE TECHNICIAN WAS SURPRISED IT HAD NOT EXPLODED. THIS VEHICLE HAS A CURRENT RECALL FOR OTHER FUEL SYSTEM DEFECTS. A COMBINATION OF THE 2 COULD BE DEADLY IF THE OWNER IN UNAWARE OF EITHER PROBLEM AREA. I HAVE AND WILL RETAIN THE HARNESS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION IF NEEDED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT 40MPH AT NIGHT, HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OUT. WOULD NOT HAVE ANY WARNING. THE HEADLIGHTS WERE REPAIRED AT LEAST 3 DIFFERENT TIMES FOR THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. (RQ 98015). *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHICH DAMAGED ENGINE DUE TO FAILURE OF THE COMPUTER UNIT.

96V071000; RECALL WORK WAS DONE BY KOONS FORD, FALLS CHURCH, VA. THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THE STEERING COLUMN WIRES MELTED AND SMOLDERED, THE CONSUMER IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE WORK DONE PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. CURRENTLY THE DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTED OUT CAUSING LIGHTS TO GO ON AND OFF CONTINUOUSLY.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 20-25 MINUTES WHEN A DEFECTIVE ALTERNATOR, CAUSED A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AREA. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

BRAKES: BRAKES HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES WITHIN THREE YEARS. BRAKES VIBRATE AND WEAR OUT WITHIN A YEAR. HAD NEW BRAKE PADS INSTALLED AND ROTORS TURNED. ALSO VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE ON THE LEFT SIDE 3-2-97. PROBABLE CAUSE ELECTRICAL. RECALL 96V071. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND SMOKE CAME FROM THE IGNITION ( STEERING COLUMN ) . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED, UNDER THE INTERIOR COMPARTMENT, UNDER THE DASH, ELECTRICAL SHORT. *AK

ELECTRICIAL FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN OF THE DASH BOARD, RESULTING IN A BAD FIRE. *AK