Reuters reports that a consumer and legal research group is pressing Ford to recall the Crown Victoria police interceptor, following concerns over fuel-tank fires following crashes that have resulted in officer fatalities.
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“We are here to demand that Ford recall the Crown Victoria and begin installing available technology for the protection of law officers,” said David Perry, a Corpus Christi, Texas, attorney who represents some families of officers killed or hurt in these crashes in remarks reported by Reuters.
The NHTSA is still undecided on whether or not to launch a formal investigation into the vehicle.
Three fire-related deaths of Arizona police officers driving ‘Crown Vics’ have led to Arizona attorney general Janet Napolitano calling a meeting with top Ford engineers, including vice president for environmental and safety engineering Sue Cischke.
Arizona has extensively investigated the fuel tank of the large, rear-wheel drive Crown Vic and concluded that placing it behind the rear axle puts it within the vehicle’s “crumple zone” in a rear-end collision.
The investigation also found that the tank is vulnerable to punctures by a parking cable bolt, an anti-sway bar bracket, and, on later models, towers that support rear shock absorbers.
