Ford's not looking too good on this one.......action only seems to come AFTER they get a call from CTV
Defective car warmer leaves Ford in hot seat
Updated: Thu Dec. 24 2009 4:28:39 PM
ctvmontreal.ca
A Montreal man is fuming after the seat on a second-hand Ford Focus he bought caught fire.
Freddy Vinncelli purchased a 2003 Ford Focus Monday to drive to work. He flipped on the seat warmer switch, and was in for a surprise.
"As I was pulling into the office on 17th Ave., it felt really, really hot on my back. I decided to get out as quick as I could. It was very painful. I jumped out, shut off the seat and this is what it did," he said, pointing to singed fabric, the result of the seat warmers overheating and igniting.
Vinncelli said he was frightened by the incident.
"I can't believe that it's catching fire. Had I left it on or been on the highway, to catch fire at 100 km an hour, what do you do?" he said.
Though he wasn't injured, he was stuck with a damaged seat - and several concerns.
Vinncelli looked into the issue and learned a bulletin had been issued in the U.S. in 2004 for the 2003-2004 Ford Focus, indicating the front seat heater element pads could shift and result in uneven heating.
That's an understatement, said George Iny, president of the Automobile Inspection Association.
"Uneven? Well that looks pretty uneven!" he said with a laugh. "You don't want heating elements doing that and in fact we've had recalls with other manufacturers' safety-related recalls because of the risk of burning occupants."
Calls to Ford Canada proved to be futile at first, said Vinncelli.
"Ford Canada refused to speak over the phone they asked me to write a letter to the liability department," he explained, adding that a dealership told him he would have to pay to get the car repaired.
Transport Canada was no help either, he said.
"I was told by Transport Canada that it's not a safety issue, it's not an immediate safety issue. How is catching fire not an immediate safety issue? That's what I don't understand," said Vinncelli.
CTV News looked into the issue, and discovered that in 2005, Ford Canada sent a letter to owners offering to repair the heated seat at no charge within a set period of time. The letter makes no mention of a safety hazard.
CTV also found out that the heating element pads in Vinncelli's Ford Focus had been repaired by the previous owner in 2005 at a Ford dealership.
Still, it ignited four years later.
"What we're seeing today, though, doesn't seem like a product improvement issue. It looks like a safety issue, and at that point, really, you'd want to notify Transport Canada," said Iny. "I am disappointed that the car maker couldn't step up to the plate when you report the complaint to them."
Vinncelli received a phone call Wednesday from the executive manager of Ford Canada
"He said his customer relations department had received a call from CTV with regards to a fire issue with the seat," said Vinncelli.
The executive offered to contact a dealer of Vinncelli's choice to address the issue, explained Vinncelli.
"(He said,) 'We'll do an inspection on the seat we'll have our supervisors look at it there, take some photos do whatever's necessary," he said.
Vinncelli said he hopes the weather stays mild enough the next few days and will keep CTV informed as to whether Ford Canada's follows through on its promise to correct his seat.
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