What 1,717 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford F-150 Regular Cab

The rear-window defroster over heated on the passenger side causing that window to chatter. At one spot at the bottom, the rubber frame around the glass started to melt and burn just before the window chattered. If I had not been standing close to see what was happening, and turn the control off, I believe this could have started a fire that could have burned the entire truck and areas around it threating people and property. This is also a safety concern for anyone sitting in the back seat at the time of window chattering, as small shards of glass could hit passengers possibly causing eye and other injuries. Due to my incident, I did research on YouTube an other Ford forums that document many others being a victim of this same problem over several years including 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and maybe more. Owners over the years have documented and informed Ford about this problem, apparently without any trucks being recalled or getting much help from Ford about this problem. Ford and NHTSA should be concerned and Ford held accountable for this defect. Many owners were told buy the service men that replaced their back glass because of this issue, that this was quote a "common problem caused by the defroster" on this trucks. If there are "safety concern" that yell "RECALL!", this is for sure one of them.

NHTSA ODI 11505967

PASSENGER SIDE REAR WINDSHIELD EXPLOSION AND SMALL FIRE WHEN REAR DEFROSTER WAS ENGAGED. VEHICLE WAS IDLE IN SCHOOL CARPOOL LINE WHEN WHITE SMOKE APPEARED TO BE FORMING NEAR REAR WINDOW. THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME STARTED BEEPING AND POINTING TO MY REAR WINDOW. SUDDENLY THE WINDOW EXPLODED WITH A SOUND LIKE A RIFLE REPORT AND THE GLASS SPIDERWEBBED ON THE WINDOW. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF ALL CLIMATE CONTROLS AND INSPECTED THE DAMAGE. THE TRIM WAS SMOLDERING FROM THE ELECTRICAL FIRE AND AFTER GETTING HOME I TOOK PHOTOS AND STARTED TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM AS WELL AS CONTACT THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND THE REPAIRS WOULD LIKELY BE OUT OF POCKET OR VIA INSURANCE CLAIM. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS INVOLVING THIS ISSUE AND THE MALFUNCTIONING REAR DEFROSTER SYSTEM. THERE IS A TSB ON THE FAULTY SYSTEM. YET THERE IS NO EFFORT TAKEN BY FORD OR THE NTSB ON MITIGATING CONSUMER SAFETY RISK. GLAD MY KIDS HAD EXITED THE VEHICLE MINUTES PRIOR OR THEY MAY HAVE BEEN HIT WITH SMALL GLASS SHARDS. THIS ISSUE REMAINS TODAY AS A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO CONSUMER AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10936429

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AT 55MPH HEARD A LOUD BANG. SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION! THE SOUND STARTLED ME ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE REAR WINDOW HAD SHATTERED. PULLED OVER AND GOT OUT, THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THE WINDOW WAS ON FIRE. NOT REALIZING WHAT WAS HAPPENING I ATTEMPTED TO POUR WATER ON IT. IT CONTINUED TO BURN, THEN I QUICKLY TOOK A RAG FROM INSIDE THE TRUCK AND BEGAN TO TRY AN PUT OUT THE FIRE. BETWEEN THAT WATER ,RAG AND A SCREW DRIVER THE FIRE WAS FINALLY OUT. THE FIRE THAT WAS BURNING WAS VERY ODD IN NATURE NOTHING I HAD EVER SEEN BEFORE. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED THE INCIDENT UP ONLINE AND SAW THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED HUNDREDS OF TIMES FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS FULLY AWARE BUT WILL NOT COVER IT UNLESS ENTIRE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS TOTALLY A DANGER TO SOCIETY! THIS ALMOST CAUSED AN AWFUL ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10935145

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WITH THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER ENGAGED, THE DEFROST WARNING INDICATOR WAS INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE DEFROSTER OFF AND BACK ON, AND THE DEFROST WARNING INDICATOR WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED AND THE WIRING INSIDE THE WINDOW WAS MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE DEFROST WIRING SHORTED OUT WHICH CAUSED THE WINDOW TO SHATTER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 09/10/15*LJ

NHTSA ODI 10733898

WHILE DRIVING AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MINUTES, SMOKE STARTED TO APPEAR UNDER AND AROUND THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHICH RAPIDLY CONVERTED TO FLAMES. IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND PARKED THE CAR. OPENED THE HOOD AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. I HAD AN ABC FIRE EXTINGUISHER WHICH I USED TO EXTINGUISH FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10553966