Day on Torts
The NYT has reported that Ford has recalled almost 4,000,000 trucks and SUVs, saying that a problem with the cruise control could cause the vehicle to catch fire. There have been almost 1200 reports of fire to date. Ford had earlier recalled almost 800,000 for a simliar concern.
The model years at issue are 1994 – 2002.
According to the Times, “Ford said it believed that brake fluid may leak from the switch that deactivates the cruise control once the driver steps on the brake pedal. That fluid can drip down to the cruise control’s electrical component, cause corrosion and ignite a fire, the company said.”
NHTSA has received more than 550 reports of vehicle fires from these model years.
UPDATE: Here is another article.