1998 Ford F150 caught on fire under hood near brake fluid reservoir, burning wires, plastic components, hood and fender beyond repair. Vehicle had been in driveway for over 20 minutes unattended, turned off, keys out of ignition. Flames were 2 feet high at time of notice; neighbor saved further damage to truck and home.

- Floresville, TX, USA

As I slept this past Saturday morning (11/18/2006), my 1998 F-150 pick-up burned to the ground about 4:00am. This was my second Ford pick-up owned, and I was very pleased with Ford until this happened. My truck was paid for and I was completely happy with it. I am now without a vehicle until I hear from my insurance company, whom says I didn't have any rental car coverage on my policy. I have had to miss this week in work wages due to no way to get to my job 30 minutes away, and will be forced to miss thanksgiving holiday with my family in Arkansas. Can Ford reimburse me for any of my lost work wages or a rebate off a new purchase? I really feel that due to a major fault by Ford, that they should reimburse me with a vehicle to drive so that I can get to work. I am currently stuck and miserable, and do not feel that this is fair for me to have to suffer one more day because I put my trust in Ford Motor Co. I strongly feel that Ford should at least do something on their part, to make this right! regards, scott howard.

- Henderson, TX, USA

I owned and operated a 1998 Ford F150. There was a recall of the cruise control switch in September, 2005 as the faulty switch has been linked to fires in F150 trucks. In October of last year, I took my truck to a dealer so they could perform the modification to fix the problem, which they did complete. It appears Ford's fix is not working. My vehicle caught on fire 6/15/06 after I had driven it to work. It appears as though the fire has destroyed the vehicle. I request that one of your experts come out and inspect my truck. It is clear from the information I have gathered that it was an electrical fire. I think it is important for you to know if the Ford's recall and solution to this problem is actually working or not.

- Pickerington, OH, USA

1) starter went out, truck was surging while driving, gasoline was running out of tailpipe. 2) wiring harness was rubbing the ac dryer which caused the fuel injectors to stay open, which filled the cylinders up with gas and locked the motor up, bending the rods. 3) motor and starter were replaced by smith Ford in conway, Arkansas. This cost us $5,500. Originally, truck was sent in for starter replacement only. The next day the motor went out.

- Mount Vernon, AR, USA

1998 Ford F150 caught on fire.** answer required***.

- Unknown, DC, USA

My 1998 Ford 150 caught fire at the speed control sensor. The truck was parked with the motor off. Smoke started to come from under the hood. When the hood was opened a fire was seen and put out. The unit was melted and had to be replaced.

- Leesburg, GA, USA

1998 Ford F-150 caught fire in the engine compartment area and burnt the front end of truck from the cab area forward.

- Gordon, GA, USA

Vehicle caught on fire under the hood while being parked for 5 minutes. The local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. The cause was not determined. Dealer was contacted.

- Farnam, NE, USA

The vehicle was parked in the driveway for approximately 15 hours before it caught on fire under the hood. The local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. The fire marshall and the insurance investigator could not determine the cause of the fire.

- Fishers, IN, USA

While vehicle was parked a fire started under the hood. Vehicle was totaled. The dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.

- Ocala, FL, USA

Early last year (2004) my cruise control stopped working on my 1998 Ford F-150 4X4 P/U. I checked all the fuses and they were fine. I used the truck without the cruise control for the next 6-8 months. Then one day while at work I noticed smoke coming out of my truck hood. I opened the hood and noticed it was on fire at the cruise control switch (at the time I thought the switch was a pressure switch activated by the brake) so I cut the wiring to stop the current flow and put out the fire. I caught it early enough so no other damage was done to the truck. Just some melted wiring that I replaced. (being an electrician helped) I could not use the truck for a couple of days and took a day off work until I found a switch and I replaced it. I have not had any problems since. When I went to the local Ford dealership (antelop valley Ford in lancaster, ca) to get a replacement switch and explained the incident to them they had no idea what switch I was talking about and said they had no replacement for it, then said they could order it for me after I showed them where it was located under the hood. They never told me it had anything to do with the cruise control and they never told me about ongoing problems with this switch, that upsets me more then anything! I went to power Ford in valencia, ca and they had a switch in stock that I purchased. I can only assume that the switch that I got from the Ford dealership to replace the burnt up one was a non-faulty switch? low and behold, my cruise control started working after I replaced the burnt up switch! the July 15, 2004 incident date is an approximate date.

- Lake Hughes, CA, USA

Vehicle unexpectedly caught on fire under the hood while it was parked. Manufacturer was contacted by consumer.

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

I lost the cruise control feature and was troubleshooting the problem when the brake switch (cruise control) caught fire on my 1998 F150 truck in my driveway. The brake switch (cruise control) located on the master cylinder caught fire because the switch leaked brake fluid. The fire damaged the master cylinder and I had to replace the brake switch and the wiring harness. I purchased the brake switch from the local dealer and a wiring harness to correct the problem. I used the Ford brake switch and harness and obvously may need to replace it in the future. I contacted the local dealer (team Ford in humble, tx) and advised them of the fire. They said they never encountered such a problem. I asked them to contact the Ford local rep and never received a return call. I eventually discarded the parts but have evidence of the fire. The master cylinder has been burnt and this may pose a bigger problem with leaks in the future. Can you make sure that Ford recognizes this failure and the 1998 F150 trucks are included in the recall on the news. Many thanks!

- Humble, TX, USA

Fire in left rear quadrant of engine compartment. Only item damaged was the cruise control deactivation switch. Still in place but switch head was charred and deformed. Cruise control quit working about 2 months prior to the fire. The fuse for the ccds was blown. It was a 25 amp device where a 15 amp device should have been. Xrays of the switch head show the internal brass contacts destroyed by electrical arcing.

- Humble, TX, USA

My truck caught on fire. It had not been driven for about 24 hours before the incident. I went out to get something out of my truck and everything was normal. Thirty minutes later we heard a horn blaring outside. When my wife looked out the window, she yelled that our truck was on fire. The fire dept got here within 5 mins by then the hood had melted, the battery had exploded, the windshield blew in and one tire had exploded. The fire appeared to have started on the driver's side of the engine compartment. Somewhere near the fuse box. The fire dept could not determine the exact cause.

- Knightdale, NC, USA

There is a malfunction in wiring harness in steering column, when the tilt is used. This malfunction causes brake lights and turn signals not to work. Dealer has seen vehicle 6 times, and was not able to fix it. The dealer fixed only the harness but it failed again. The brake light and turn signal are still inoperable.

- Bloomfield, MI, USA

While parked the vehicle caught on fire under the hood. The cause of the fire was in the wiring. The vehicle is currently at dealer for repair.

- North Agusta, SC, USA