Ralph Nader is demanding that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warn consumers about a possible fire hazard in some Ford trucks.
Ford Motor Co. is recalling nearly 750,000 trucks, mostly 2000 Ford F-150s and Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators, to replace cruise control switches that may catch fire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also is investigating whether the defect exists in as many as 3.7 million more vehicles.
The consumer advocate and former presidential candidate wrote to Jeffrey Runge, head of NHTSA, asking him to advise the public about "life-threatening hazards" from the cruise control switch in the Ford pickups and SUVs that are part of the investigation.
A NHTSA spokesman says the agency cannot issue a warning on all of the vehicles Nader wants included because the investigation is still underway.
The government began the defect investigation in March involving F-150 pickups from the 1995 to 1999 and 2001 to 2002 model years and Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from the 1997 to 1999 and 2001 to 2002 model years.
NHTSA has received more than 550 complaints of engine fires from the cruise control switch in the Ford models.
