U.S. investigates Ford Escape SUV fires

The National Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into reports of fires in some Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute small SUVs.

Ford Motor Co. owns a controlling interest in Mazda and the Escape and Tribute are different versions of the same vehicle. The vehicles involved in the investigation are from model years 2001 to 2003.

The Mercury Mariner is another version of the same small SUV, but it has not been named in the investigation. It was not introduced until the 2005 model year.

The government auto safety agency started an official investigation after receiving eight separate complaints of fires in the engine compartments of Ford Escape SUVs. Two other complaints alleged "fire-related phenomena," such as sparks, melted electrical connectors or smoke, in the same area of the vehicles.



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mstangpny07 - 11/3/2006 4:38:15 PM

+1 Boost

WOW! The Escape in the picture seems virtually untouched by the fire which turned the paint brown!
What a terrible photoshop!

EL34i - 11/3/2006 9:36:21 PM

0 Boost

Audi should use the Ford Escape platform as the basis of a high-end crossover vehicle. I want to see a future VAG/Ford collaboration make this happen!

delan - 11/4/2006 12:52:34 AM

+1 Boost

Crikey, I know tires are pretty durable these days, but one would think with the intense heat it would atleast inflate and burst. The ones in the pic look perfectly fine. Yawn!