Complaint 532102

Complaint Summary

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Owner Narrative

2001 FORD ESCORT 4-DOOR 477-LXX. I HAD STARTED UP MY CAR AND BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY WHEN MY CAR REFUSED TO RUN. I TRIED TURNING IT OVER SEVERAL TIMES BUT TO NO AVAIL. SO I CONTACTED A MECHANIC, WHO TOWED THE CAR IN FOR DIAGNOSIS. HE CALLED ME TODAY WITH THE FOLLOWING: THERE WAS DEFECTIVE WIRING ON FUEL PUMP HOUSING OF MY CAR. THE FUEL PUMP WAS FROM THE FACTORY ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC. ONE SET OF 4 TERMINALS ON THE PUMP WERE ANGLED BACK PROPERLY, BUT THE OTHER SET OF 4 WERE STRAIGHT SO THAT THE TERMINALS WERE ALMOST TOUCHING. THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TERMINALS ON THE TWO CENTER TERMINALS OF THE STRAIGHT SET WERE FUSED UPON INSPECTION. HAD SHORTED OUT THE FUEL PUMP. THE INSULATION WAS BURNED OFF, AND THE MECHANIC ASSUMED THAT THE TWO POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TERMINALS PROBABLY HAD BEEN ARCING ABOVE THE GAS TANK EACH TIME THE CAR STARTED SINCE IT LEFT THE FACTORY, SINCE THE FUEL PUMP HAD BEEN BASICALLY UNTOUCHED. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE CAUSED A VIOLENT EXPLOSION OF GAS IN THE FUEL TANK, AND KILLED BOTH ME AND MY MOTHER, AND POSSIBLY BURNED OUR HOUSE DOWN. THIS PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED BY THE MECHANIC BY BENDING THE TERMINALS BACK TO THEIR PROPER POSITION. *AK

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.