Ford recalls 4.5m vehicles on fire risk

A faulty cruise-control switch prompted the Ford recall.
Ford Motor Co. said 4.5 million more vehicles may have a faulty cruise-control switch that could cause a fire, prompting the automaker to expand a recall that was already its biggest.

The voluntary recall affects models of vans and trucks including Windstars, Rangers, and Explorers.

The switch, made by Texas Instruments Inc., can leak and then overheat, smoke, or burn. Ford had previously recalled 9.8 million vehicles, beginning in 1999, on the same defect. That number is Ford’s estimate of affected vehicles that are still on the road, a spokesman said.