1988 Ford Mustang

The contact owns a 1988 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while adding air to the tires, the radiator exploded in the engine. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer nor an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

I WAS DRIVING TO A FUNERAL HOME TO PICK UP ASHES 40 MILES FROM HOME WITH TWO CHOW DOGS WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN STARTED SMOKING AND WAS BURNING. THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I CONTACTED AAA TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A RELIABLE REPAIR SHOP. I HAD A USED ONE INSTALLED AS THE FORD DEALER SAID THE COMPUTER DOES NOT GO BACK TO THAT YEAR FOR PARTS. I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE RECALL AT THAT TIME. HOWEVER I FOUND OUT HOW TO FIND OUT DUE TO A GOOD MORNING AMERICA SHOW. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER THIS TIME IN PERSON AND AGAIN COMPUTER COULD NOT GIVE ANY INFORMATION.THE PERSON IN CHARGE WAS JOHN LARUE AND HE GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO FORD 1-800-392-3673 AND I CALLED EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND APPARENTLY THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AS THERE MAY BE A BLANKET RECALL WHATEVER THAT IS AND NOTHING LISTED ON THEIR COMPUTER AND WAS BLOWN OFF. NOTHING . NADA. I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU SELL IT YOU SERVICE IT IF IT IS DEFECTIVE. THIS IS MY REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1988 FORD MUSTANG. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN RIDING ROUGHLY AND THE ENGINE FAILED. THE CONTACT PULLED OUT OF TRAFFIC, WAITED TWENTY MINUTES, AND THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. HE DROVE A BLOCK AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE IGNITION MODULE FAILED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE IGNITION SWITCH WAS RECALLED AND REPLACED DURING NHTSA CAMPAIGN 96V071000. FORD PART #F29A-11572-DA. WIRING HARNESS END WAS ALSO REPAIRED DUE TO MELTING DURING OVERHEATING OF TERMINALS. THE SWITCH THAT WAS REPLACED DID NOT MELT OR FAIL INTERNALLY, BUT BECAME SEPARATED. THE ORIGINAL SWITCH AS WELL AS THE REPLACEMENT SWITCH IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND A LIGHT DUTY WHITE METAL THAT ARE CRIMPED ON THE ENDS TO CLOSE THE SWITCH. I FOUND THAT THE OLD SWITCH AS WELL AS THE NEW FAULTY SWITCH, BECAME SEPARATED. THE END CRIMPS SLOWLY BEND OPEN AND THE TOP OF THE SWITCH PUSHES AWAY FROM THE BASE. THIS SEPARATION SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY THE INTERNAL SPRING PRESSURE ON THE SWITCH PLATES PUSHING ON THE BATTERY SIDE. THE METAL CRIMPS ARE NOT ABLE TO HOLD THE SWITCH CLOSED. THERE IS NO OTHER MECHANICAL FASTENERS HOLDING THIS SWITCH TOGETHER. THE INCREASED GAP BETWEEN THE CONTACT PLATES CAUSES AN OVERHEATING OF THE SWITCH, PRIMARILY AT THE BATTERY CONNECTORS, MELTING THE SWITCH AND HARNESS ASSEMBLY. MY FIRST SWITCH ONLY CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE HARNESS AND WIRES. BECAUSE I CHECKED INTO THE SMELL OF BURNING INSULATION IN THE COLUMN I DID NOT EXPERIENCE A FIRE OR SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THIS TIME, I DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING, BUT LOST POWER TO MY TURN SIGNALS WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE ROAD. WHEN I TRACED THE POWER LOSS I CAME TO THE IGNITION SWITCH AND FOUND THE HARNESS MELTING AGAIN AND THE SWITCH NEARLY SPLITTING IN HALF WHEN IT WAS UNBOLTED FROM THE COLUMN. AGAIN THE SWITCH OPENED UP AS THE METAL BASE GAVE WAY. *JB

ABOUT A MONTH AGO, WHILE RETURNING FROM A LONG TRIP, THE CRUISE CONTROL ON MY MUSTANG JUST STOPPED WORKING. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE HOLLOW PLASTIC HEAD PIECE ON THE ACTUATOR CABLE HAD BROKEN AND THE CONTROL CABLE WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO PULL ON THE THROTTLE. THE STEEL CABLE IS TERMINATED A COUPLE OF INCHES BACK OF THE THROTTLE ARM AND SLIDES FREELY INSIDE THE PLASTIC HEAD PIECE WHICH IS ATTACHED THE THROTTLE ARM ITSELF. I ASSUME IT BUILT LIKE THIS TO PREVENT BINDING WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL IS NOT IN USE. FAST FORWARD TO YESTERDAY, WHILE COMING HOME ON THE FREEWAY, I WAS ACCELERATING AROUND SOME SLOWER MOVING CARS WHEN THE THROTTLE JAMMED WIDE OPEN. NO AMOUNT OF MANIPULATION OF THE PEDDLE COULD GET PROBLEM TO CLEAR SO I HAD TO KILL THE IGNITION AND COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I GOT OUT AND INSPECTED THE LINKAGE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE END OF THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HAD SLID PAST THE END OF THE PLASTIC HEAD PIECE AND HAD JAMMED THE THROTTLE WIDE OPEN. THE NATURE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CABLE AND THE PLASTIC END PIECE MAKES THIS TYPE OF FAILURE ONLY POSSIBLE IF THE THROTTLE IS WIDE OPEN. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS THE KIND OF PROBLEM THAT RECALLS ARE MADE OF. HAS ANYBODY ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM? *NLM

SWAY BAR REPLACEMENT/STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION. MR THE REPAIRED/REPLACED PARTS ARE AS FOLLOWED: SWAY BAR LINKS(REPLACED THE TWO SIDES), HEAT SHIELDS HAD COME LOOSE, AND THE STEERING WHEEL HAD COME OFF ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD HE COULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE WHILE LOOSE AND WITH THE BROKEN SWAY BAR/ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE SWAY BAR LOOKED AS IF IT WERE CUT ON BOTH SIDES AFTER REPAIRS. SCC *JB