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Ford expands recall for defective cruise control switch that poses fire hazard

Owners of a variety of different Ford makes and models are being urged to take their vehicles in to repair a faulty cruise control switch as soon as possible.  The repair can be performed at any Ford dealer for free.  A fused wiring harness will be installed, eliminating the risk of fire.

The troublesome switch is at risk for leaking hydraulic fluid, overheating, and smoking and bursting into flame.  According to the NHTSA, the switch is a fire risk even when the car is parked and turned off.  To avoid any potential injury, owners of recalled vehicles are advised to park their car outside until it is fixed.

This latest recall adds 4.5 vehicles to the existing recall for this issue, bringing the total number of recalled vehicles to over 14 million, Ford’s largest recall ever and a record for a single issue recall according to the NHTSA.

If you own one of the vehicles subject to the recall, you should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673 or NTHSA's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit http://www.safercar.gov.

The Ford vehicles affected in the latest recall include:

• 1995-2003 Windstars
• 2000-2003 Excursion diesels
• 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 F-Super Duty diesels
• 1992-2003 Econolines
• 1995-2002 Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers
• 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Rangers
• 1994 F35 motorhomes.

The faulty switch was made by Texas Instruments.  Ford stopped using these switches in 2003, however they were installed in millions of vehicles and have been the subject of 8 recalls over a 10 year period.