2002 Ford E350

This investigation was opened based on one complaint and reports from four transportation fleets alleging 182 blower motor control switch failures.ODI was concerned that these melting and burning switches could lead to an open flame that could spread throughout the vehicle.After a comprehensive review of all data related to overheating blower motor control switches in the subject vehicles, ODI did not identify the existence of a safety defect trend.ODI reviewed 1,036 complaints, claims, and field reports of failed blower motor control switches and determined that only two fires were likely to have been caused by a failing subject blower motor control switch.This represents a failure rate of 0.2 R/100K on a population of 1,076,975 vehicles that have been in service for up to 14 years.ODI has found that when the subject switches do fail and begin to melt, they are constructed in a manner that typically prevents the failing switch from igniting and developing into an open flame.Ford Motor Company has agreed to take two actions to further reduce the likelihood an overheated blower motor switch in the subject vehicles.Ford informed ODI that it has implemented a series of design changes to the subject switch that will help prevent it from developing internal high resistance short circuits.Ford has also informed ODI that it would release a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB-11-11-21) instructing subject vehicle owners to replace the electrical connector at the same time a failed switch is replaced.In light of the low rate of failure resulting in open flame and fire spread on the subject vehicles, and Ford's actions to reduce the likelihood of a switch failure through switch design changes and a TSB, further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following (ODI) numbers: 10427875, 10114393, 10257890For additional information, see the attached closing report.

ODI has received 1 complaint and reports from 4 transportation fleets alleging 182 switch failures.Each fleet operates mini buses built on a Ford E350 or E450 cutaway chassis.The OEM HVAC blower switches have melted, smoked, burned or experienced open flame and become inoperable on vehicles in each fleet.Some drivers have reported a burning smell or smoke coming from the dash.One fleet reported a vehicle fire.No injuries were sustained.However, the bus was carrying special needs children when the driver noticed smoke coming from the dash.The driver was able to evacuate the children prior to the vehicle becoming engulfed in flames.This PE has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA) to determine if the blower motor switch failures create a situation where a vehicle fire is possible and presents a safety risk to the driver and other passengers.

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR THE DEALER REPAIRING THE VEHICLE, REPORTED THAT A SPARK PLUG DETACHED FROM THE CYLINDER AND/OR EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE.AS OF DECEMBER 8, 2005, ODI IS NOT AWARE OF ANY ALLEGATIONS WHERE THE ALLEGED DEFECT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, A CRASH, AN INJURY, OR A FATALITY IN ANY OF THE 10,319,810 SUBJECT VEHICLES.IN ADDITION, ODI IS AWARE OF ONLY TWO INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT RESTART.INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ODI CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND OBTAINED FROM 72 TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH COMPLAINANTS SHOWED THE FOLLOWING:(1) 99% OF THE COMPLAINTS WERE ON MY 1997 TO 2002 SUBJECT VEHICLES.(2) MOST THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED HEARING A LOUD POP WHILE DRIVING OR UPON STARTING UP THE VEHICLE FOLLOWED BY A LOUD, REPETITIVE CLICKING OR POPPING SOUND.(3) MANY OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THE POPPING SOUND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY SOME LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER; HOWEVER, IN 99% OF THE INCIDENTS REPORTED, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL.IN THE VERY FEW INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE DID STALL, MOST VEHICLES COULD BE RESTARTED.(4) ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE COMPLAINANTS CITED THAT THEY SMELLED GAS OR A SLIGHT BURNING SMELL WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.(5) IN ALL BUT A VERY FEW INCIDENTS, VEHICLE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE ENGINE.IN ONE INCIDENT, THE COMPLAINT REPORTED THAT THE FUEL RAIL WAS DAMAGED AND REPLACED AFTER ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE; HOWEVER, THE COMPLAINANT REPORTED THAT THE DAMAGE DID NOT RESULT IN ANY TYPE OF FUEL LEAK OR FIRE.IN ANOTHER INCIDENT, THE ONLY INCIDENT WHERE A FIRE WAS ALLEGED, THE COMPLAINANT REPORTED THAT NO FLUID LEAK WAS OBSERVED, BUT THAT A FIRE RESULTED AFTER THE SPARK PLUG HAD EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE AND HE HAD RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DRIVEN TO ANOTHER LOCATION.NONE OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED ANY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE HOOD.(6) ONLY TWO COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THEY OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE SOME DROPS OF FUEL COMING FROM THE CYLINDER WHERE THE SPARK PLUG HAD FAILED OR ON THE SPARK PLUG ITSELF; HOWEVER, EACH OF THESE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO SMOKE OR FLAMES AS A RESULT OF HIS INCIDENT.AS THE PETITIONER NOTED, AND ODI?S ANALYSIS SHOWED, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A SPARK PLUG TO DETACH FROM THE ENGINE CYLINDER THREADS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.HOWEVER, ODI?S ANALYSIS OF 474 COMPLAINTS DESCRIBING SUCH INCIDENTS FOUND ONLY A VERY FEW ALLEGED ANY SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCES.NONE OF THESE SHOWED ANY EVIDENCE OF A SERIOUS SAFETY CONSEQUENCE.GIVEN THE LARGE POPULATION AND RELATIVELY LONG EXPOSURE TIME OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, THE COMPLAINT ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY FROM THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS VERY LOW.IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THEREFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA?S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY?S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.

HEAD ON VEHICLE STRIPPED BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT IS MADE. THERE WAS A RECALL ON REGULAR E350 BUT MINE IS AN RV. IT WAS IN MOTION WHEN THE SPARK PLUG POPPED OUT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY ON I-65 IN BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA.

NHTSA ID

11127910

Incident

Jul 17, 2018

Mileage

114,000 mi

THIS 350 ECONOLINE, 8CYL., EXTENDED BODY VAN WAS PURCHASED NEW, AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 120K MILES ON IT SINCE 2002. BEGINNING SEVERAL YEARS AGO, MY MECHANIC COMPLAINED OF SEVERE FRAME EROSION, HAVING HAD TO REINFORCE AND RE-WELD SEVERAL PARTS BACK ONTO THE FRAME, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE BRACKETS WHICH SUPPORT THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS. (TWO OCURRANCES-- LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES). LAST WEEK, MY EMPLOYEE COMPLAINED OF SOME REAR END SWAYING AT MODERATE SPEED CORNERING. WE DISCOVERED A CROSS-TIE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SIDE RAILS AT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE'S FRAME HAD ROTTED AWAY, THUS CAUSING SOME UNWANTED FRAME MOVEMENT. IF IT WEREN'T FOR A HEAVY-DUTY TOWING PACKAGE I HAD PURCHASED WITH THE VEHICLE IN 2002, I BELIEVE THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES OF THE VEHICLE'S UNDER-FRAMING WOULD HAVE TWISTED AND SEPARATED FROM THE BODY YEARS AGO ! ALSO BEGINNING A FEW YEARS AGO, WAS THE DECAY OF THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE BLOCK, AS THREE SEPARATELY TIMED SPARK PLUGS HAD LITERATELY 'BLOWN' OUT OF THE THREADED WELLS OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. MY MECHANIC HAD TO ADAPT HELI-COIL KITS INTO RE-BORED HOLES IN THE VEHICLE'S SPARK PLUG WELLS. IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THESE KITS COME LOOSE, AND BLOW -OUT AGAIN. I'M ALREADY EXPERIENCING A PAINFULLY OMINOUS COMPRESSION LOSS IN ONE (OR MORE) OF THE CYLINDERS. COULD FORD HAVE PURCHASED SOME INFERIOR METALS, THUS PRODUCING A LINE OF JUNK VEHICLES?

NHTSA ID

11029878

Incident

Feb 1, 2010

BLOWING OUT SPARK PLUGES.

NHTSA ID

10957162

Incident

Jan 18, 2017

Mileage

120,000 mi

WHILE TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE VAN STARTED SHOWING SYMPTOMS OF FUEL STARVATION AND WITH THE FAMILY AND A SEMI ON MY BUMPER THINGS GOT QUITE HAIRY AND STARTED AND ARGUMENT WITH MY WIFE! I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND PUT CLEAN DIESEL FUEL AND FUEL ADDITIVE TO GET ME BACK HOME; THIS DID NOT WORK AS THE VAN ACTED UP AGAIN SEVERAL MILES DOWN THE ROAD. AFTER STOPPING AND STARTING NUMEROUS TIMES ON A SIDE STREET, I GOT TO A PLACE WHERE I COULD CHANGE THE FUEL FILTER; I NOTICED THAT IT WAS FULL OF RUST AND ALUMINUM FLAKES. THE VAN WOULD NOT MOVE ANY FURTHER, I HAD TO TRAILER IT HOME, THE NEXT DAY. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I DISCOVERED THAT THE ALUMINUM COATING THE FUEL TAKE HAD COME OFF AND WAS PLUGGING UP THE FUEL PICKUP, EMERGENCY VALVE AND THE FILTER. YOU CAN DO AN INTERNET SEARCH AND FIND WERE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORDS. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT I WOULD HAVE PERFORMED PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE ON THE FUEL TANK AND FILTERS. VERY DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR WHEN IT IS TO LATE.....

NHTSA ID

10760571

Incident

Aug 1, 2015

Mileage

240,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD E-350 EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN LT24575R16 TIRES, SIZE: 245/756/16 (NA). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT FELT VIBRATIONS FROM THE FRONT TIRES. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TREAD FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS SEPARATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE TIRE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13T012000 (TIRES). THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,362 AND THE APPROXIMATE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

NHTSA ID

10734284

Incident

Jul 14, 2015

Mileage

108,362 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD E-350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ID

10690135

Incident

Jun 23, 2014

Mileage

60,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD E-350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

NHTSA ID

10560256

Incident

Feb 17, 2011

Mileage

110,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD E-350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

NHTSA ID

10493230

Incident

Jan 16, 2013

Mileage

150,000 mi

This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the ball joint assembly may cause a perceptible increase in steering effort.

HEADLIGHT ADJUSTMENT NEEDED. *KB

CRACKS IN THE LEFT OR RIGHT SPRING TOWER FLANGE. *TT SPRING TOWER WELD REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. *TT

HEADLIGHT ADJUSTMENT - CHASSIS CAB INCOMPLETE VEHICLES. *TT

DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE B1876, B1880, B1915 AND/OR B1920 IN THE ECS MODULE - VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AFTERMARKET HIGH CURRENT DEVICES. *TT

VIBRATION/HARSHNESS ABOVE 45 MPH (72 KM/H) AFTER TIRE BALANCE. *TT